Batman: A Bruce Wayne Story
by CynthiaScott
Summary: Has Bruce Wayne found the woman who could accept him for who he is and share his other life? Before he could answer that, he feels the pain of betrayal and the trust between them is shattered. Could he put aside her past and love her enough to marry her? Based on the characters from "Batman: The Animated Series"
1. Prologue

Prologue

The dog's head perked up as he heard the key turn in the lock and the front door open. From the bedroom, the brownish great Dane came bounding into the living room, his tail wagging, his tongue hanging out in anticipation that his owner was home. That would mean dinner and an outing for some exercise.

As the door opened to the apartment on the thirty-fifth floor, the great Dane was rewarded with a smile and a scratch behind the ears as his owner dropped her things on the floor to greet him. He could tell she was glad to see him after a long day's work.

"Hi, Brucie," said the young woman as she gave her dog a big hug. In her late twenties, her hair was pulled back in her usual ponytail and she was dressed in dark blue slacks with a white button-down shirt. On her feet, she wore comfortable sneakers for her rounds at the hospital. She was tired and was glad she was home, but dinner still needed to be made.

Sabrina Wallis heaved a deep sigh as she shut the door and picked up her bag and keys. The one bedroom apartment was small but immaculate, everything in order, just how she liked it. The furnishings were sparse, but she wasn't home much, at times being able to work sixteen hours straight. Her dog kept her from working twenty-four hours a day and she made sure to come home to feed him and take him for a walk.

Going into the bedroom, Sabrina changed into faded jeans and a sweatshirt, one of the many she bought in college. Making a quick meal of pre-cooked chicken and frozen veggies, she fed Brucie and cleaned up the kitchen. Going to the dining room table with the paper, she propped her feet up on a chair and opened the business section of the Gotham Tribune. On the second page, she found a picture of Bruce Wayne in his usual two-piece suit standing outside a building. He was shaking hands with the president of a software company, the caption read, on the acceptance of a merger.

Sabrina smiled. More like takeover, she thought, though Wayne Industries was known to take care of employees on both sides of the table. She had an article with employees quoting that they didn't lose their jobs but were offered other gainful employment and were assisted with relocation if necessary. That article was tucked away in a business magazine that hard-core business professionals read. Not for the mainstream.

Studying the picture, she saw his handsome smile, a grin that stretch from ear to ear, but his eyes seemed distant, sad, as if he would rather be somewhere else, or—wished he had someone special to share the event with.

Taking out a small utility blade designed to cut paper, she cut out the picture and accompanying article and placed it in a file folder for scanning into her computer later.

In the currents section, she perused the front and on the celebrities' page, Bruce was there pictured with a blond haired woman. She was hanging onto him, a drink in her hand. He was smiling as usual, a smile that didn't light his eyes. Reading the blurb, it said he was with some supermodel Sabrina hadn't even heard of, at an after-party of a Gotham awards banquet.

Cutting the picture and article on that one too, she added it to her folder and cleaned up the table.

With a quick change to workout clothes, Sabrina took Brucie to the roof of the forty-story building. She ran around the track a few times with her dog at her side, both working up a good sweat. Using the stations build every quarter of the track, she also worked out her upper body. About ten o'clock, she looked up into the sky seeing a familiar figure fly over the rooftops of Gotham.

Probably making his rounds, she thought with a smile.

"Time to go in, boy," said Sabrina and headed inside.

Batman made his way through the dark basement hallway with only a pinpoint of light coming from his mini-mag, to guide him. He memorized the layout of the building's basement, but that was the easy part. He also had to avoid the clutter of fallen debris compromising of boxes and broken dry wall that shook apart the building with the first tremor.

He had parked his plane a few buildings away, unsure of how long he would be there, and made the rest of the way swinging on his line.

Sure of where to go, staying to his right, then making a left at the first fork, the passage came to an end and his choice was to head left or right. He needed to go right and then he found it. A door where behind it, contained the machine.

No one guarded the door, but he knew who he would find behind it, and he needed to be cautious, or he might not make it out with his sanity.

Taking a deep breath, he flung the door open with a kick, a baterang in hand. He threw it at its target, a machine flashing lights of all color indicating it was on and working.

Just as Batman hit his mark, the ground shook and the ceiling and walls began to crumble. He dodged the debris to tackle the madman who instigated the earthquake, knocking the wind out of him. Then darkness came.

Batman shook his head to clear the fog that clouded his mind. He found himself standing on the rooftop overlooking Gotham City. For a moment, a moment that seemed real, he was elsewhere, but realized it must have been an illusion. He felt the aches and exhaustion that coursed through his body, a sign telling him that he'd been up for too many days in a row.

Flying high over the rooftops of his city, he landed his plane two blocks of the crumbling apartment building. Taking one last look around, he took a deep breath and swung down on his cable. Batman was past the point of exhaustion, but this was one more call for help that he needed to answer. Quickly assessing the situation, he swung into an open window searching for people in need of help. The floor seemed clear and he headed towards the floors below, making his way towards the basement.

A tremor shook the city a few minutes earlier and he had to move fast for fear of aftershocks. They did not get earthquakes often on this side of the coast and his mind raced for an answer, wondering if the quake was man-made as opposed to natural.

Hearing voices, Batman lifted pieces of an interior wall, helping a few people get out from under the broken material. They were dusty and slightly injured, but at least they were alive.

"Thank you, Batman," said one man as they headed for safety.

The Dark Knight gave a nod and continued to search for others who may have been trapped.

Heading towards the lower floors, he thought he heard a faint banging. Someone trapped behind a door? Focusing his mind on the sound, he headed down a hallway, weaving his way through dangling light fixtures emitting sparks.

Moving large pieces of furniture and other broken fixtures out of the way, he was about to open the door when another tremor hit.

With nowhere to hide, Batman could do nothing to save himself as part of the ceiling came tumbling down on top of him. He was trapped and knocked out cold.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

After the second tremor, the fire engines and emergency medical technicians arrived at the scene. Although they felt the earthquake was a major one, only a few buildings not retrofitted for this kind of disaster took a beating. The emergency personal were grateful, for that meant less injured.

"Bri, I think we need your help here," said Joshua Fields seeing movement in the rubble.

Batman had woken from his forced nap and tried to push the plaster-covered ceiling and beams that pinned him down. The dust from the walls swirled around him, and as he took a deep breath, he breathed in dust, eliciting an immediate coughing reaction. Finally able to catch his breath, he needed to figure out how to wrestle out of his prison. He grunted and groaned for a moment pushing at the debris pinning him down, when he felt the fragments being lifted off of him.

"There are people behind there," he groaned pointing to a door behind him as he tried to pull himself up. He felt weak and dizzy and thought he was going to fall when someone caught him.

"I got you, Bruce," the woman said softly as he leaned against her. His whole body ached, threatening to make him lose consciousness again, that Batman was unsure if he heard the woman correctly.

"Come on, let's take a look at you," she continued, helping him to a gurney nearby. She had helped him out of the building, heading for her vehicle.

Carefully laying him down, she looked at the dark red stains that covered his thigh and ribcage. She knew that wasn't the extent of his injuries. His body must be covered with other bumps and bruises that would appear later. Plus, there were probably scars from old battles, and ones that were probably still healing. First, she would tend to the more recent injuries.

Batman watched the medic's hands carefully to ensure she would not try to learn his identity. At the moment, he was at his most vulnerable and he had to safeguard his secret at any cost. He was tense, ready to spring if she tried to pull off his cowl, making his body ache even more.

The woman was very professional, Batman noted. With scissors, she cut through his thick costume, which was difficult to do, and began cleaning his wound on his thigh. Tenderly, her fingers touched him and he saw concern in her eyes. Assured she wouldn't try to take off his cowl, he took a moment to look at her. She had long black hair pulled back in a ponytail and sun-kissed colored skin. She was intent on her task at hand, not making any conversation. Dressed in the standard blue uniforms of EMT's for Gotham General Hospital, her nametag read S. Wallis.

"Ok, Bruce," she began leaning back, latex gloves covered with some of his blood. With the back of her hand, she took a moment to push a stray strand of hair. "I need you to sit up a sec. I think your ribs could be broken and I want to bind it up so you can breathe better."

Batman was startled. She had called him by his given name. No one, save a select few knew who he really was. No one…

"Mr. Wayne," she said looking at him, as if she were looking into his eyes. She could only see his mouth set in a grim line and tried to ignore it. "Did you hear…?"

"I…am…Batman," he rasped through the pain as she helped him sit up.

"Ok, Bruce, I know that, but I need you to sit up," she insisted. She knew she wouldn't be able to cut though his costume, barely doing a decent job of cleaning the wound on his thigh. She then reached under his cape to find the zipper of his costume. Pulling down the material past his shoulders and arms, she pulled it down enough to reach his injuries.

He had broad shoulders and a muscular chest that had scars marring his smooth, pale skin. Like a bat, he probably didn't get out much during the day. Mentally shaking herself from her thoughts, she concentrated on the task at hand. He probably needed to go and she needed to get going herself.

As the woman continued her ministrations, Batman felt a panic like never before. He had never been in such a disadvantaged position that he was left speechless. He studied her, the contour of her face, the way her brow knotted in consternation, wondering if she was friend or foe. When she was done, she helped him put on his costume. She looked into his eyes again, as if he wasn't wearing his cowl. She had radiant brown eyes that seemed to melt him from within, a pert nose, perfect for her face, and full lips with a hint of gloss. Taking off her gloves with her fingers, she again pushed stray hairs away from her face.

"Tell Alfred to change the bandages if they get soaked through," she instructed putting away her tools of the trade back in her medical kit. "Although I'm sure he already knows that. And you might need an x-ray of those ribs to see if they're broken or just fractured," she finished. She had reached up and began cleaning the exposed part of his face with wet cloth, confident he wouldn't stop her.

She knew Batman was a formidable man, hearing about his escapades more than reading about them. And photographs were even fewer to come by. But as Bruce lay there, injured, she couldn't help but wonder if he had anyone besides his faithful butler to tend to him, to comfort him when things didn't quite go his way. From what she could discern from the tabloids, there was no one else to go home to.

"Bri, we need you," said her partner coming through on her two-way radio, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Be right there," she answered putting the cloth down. Turing to the costumed avenger, Bri said, "Rest for a few more minutes. No one should bother you here."

Before Batman could say anything, she took off, heading back into the rubble.

He did sit there for a few more minutes shaking the weariness from his body, but then took his leave. He called his Batwing to hover just above him. A cable came down and grabbing it, got into the cockpit and headed home. Batman didn't know what to think and he sure as hell didn't know what to say. But she was right. His ribs did take a beating because when he drew in his breath, he felt a sharp pain in his side.

It was five in the morning when he reached the cave situated under his family home. Alfred Pennyworth was there, a tray filled with bandages and other first aid things. A butler, a family friend, confidant, and a host of other things, Alfred hated to see Bruce looking battered and war-torn after an evening out. But that was the life his charge had chosen and he would support him.

Alfred stopped in his tracks, confused at seeing Bruce tended to as he got down from his plane. He limped slightly, but saw a look of determination on his face.

"I take it things went well?" Alfred asked putting down his tray and picking up another one with breakfast.

Bruce's mask was off, tossed onto a chair, as he gave a curt nod.

Alfred watched as Bruce, still dressed in the rest of his tattered suit, worked at the computer. Finally, a name with a picture popped up on the screen. Bruce had accessed the Gotham DMV records and found the information that he wanted. Complete with name, address and phone number. But the picture didn't do her justice thought Bruce, mesmerized by it. Her hair was shorter, but her smile still reached her eyes. And it seemed to reach him.

"Sabrina Marie Wallis," Alfred said from behind him. As always, he kept himself busy by picking up discarded clothing and stopped only for a moment, wondering who had his employer's attention this time. "What has she done to deserve your scrutiny?" he asked setting the breakfast tray nearby. Absentmindedly, Bruce reached for some toast, barely noticing the taste of the butter and jelly.

"She patched me up for one thing," Bruce began heading up the stairs that would lead to the elevator to the manor. Out of his costume, he was dressed in his robe. He had a ten o'clock meeting with his CEO that morning and for once, he had some time to catch up on some sleep. "She told me to tell you to change these bandages if they get soaked. And she called me by my name," he continued reaching the top of the stairs. He turned to look at his confidant.

Alfred gave him puzzled look, not really understanding what he meant.

"She called me Bruce." Then he turned and headed into the elevator, the doors shutting behind him.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Bruce," repeated Lucius Fox, chief operating officer of Wayne Enterprises and his right-hand man. "Did you hear me?" He had asked Bruce a question and he'd been waiting a few minutes for the answer. They were looking at financials from the software company they recently took over, papers spread on the conference table in Lucius' office.

"I'm sorry, Lucius," said Bruce apologetically looking his long-time VP and friend. Lucius had known his father, and though he was several years older than Bruce, he thought of the man like an older brother. He was no-nonsense when it came to business and he knew that Lucius didn't approve of some of his antics that splashed the headlines of the paper every now and then. "I've got some things on my mind."

"Another jealous husband out to get you, perhaps?" Lucius smiled knowing he was one of the few people who could banter with Bruce and get away with it. "Or is it another woman?" He was curious as to Bruce's injuries, but said nothing. Bruce sometimes came into work with a limp, or a bruise here and there, but he never talked about it. He avoided most of the staff on days like that and he was the only one who really needed to see him. It was rare to see him in the office, but it just reassured him that Bruce was behind him practically running the company.

Bruce gave a cryptic smile but said nothing. And Lucius knew not to ask.

"I tried to call you last night, but Alfred said you were out," he pressed. "At one o'clock in the morning?"

"As a matter of fact, I probably won't be home tonight either," Bruce finally answered and said nothing more, burying his head back in the reports.

During the day, Bruce felt out of place and felt the costume he wore to work uncomfortable and boring. It was the night that excited him, and in his blue/black suit, he felt more like himself. If the mundane tasks of office work caught him, he would steal away to the cave and work on a case. He could just inform Lucius he had other things to attend to and leave. Anytime. Lately, he found himself spending less time at the office and spending his days catching up on needed sleep after being up for several days in a row. He only went to the office when needed and with a take-over of any sort, he was in the office more often than not. When it was over and his presence and his signature were no longer needed, he would disappear again, leaving Lucius running the day-to-day.

It was late, past two in the morning and Batman found himself across town, on the balcony of an apartment peering into open doors. A summer breeze blew ruffling the sheer white curtains. In the bedroom, he saw a sleeping figure on the bed. She was turned to him and there lay someone next to her in the shadows. 'Bri' her partner had called her. Maybe it was him who lay next to her. The figure next to Sabrina stirred and Batman turned to take his leave when he heard a low growl.

Turning around, he saw a brown great Dane looking at him as if protecting his territory.

"Brucie," said a sleepy voice, "be quiet." Sabrina turned over and resumed sleeping. Her dog obeyed, laying down where he stood, still starring at the shadow on the balcony.

Batman shook his head and jumped into his awaiting plane. For the next few days, he would have to keep a low profile for his wounds to heal, but that didn't mean he couldn't patrol his beloved city.

Beloved, he thought with a scoff. Someone once called him that, but the relationship never worked out. In fact, Bruce purposefully chose relationships with women that would go no longer than the dinner party of that evening. And some of the women he truly was interested in were either interested in Batman or interested in Batman _and_ stood on the wrong side of the law. He gave a mental shrug. It had been a long time since he had a woman's love that he was not sure if his interest in Sabrina was curiosity or…well, he certainly did not believe in love at first sight.

"Bruce, good to see you," said George Stratton, administrator of Gotham General Hospital. He was a tall man, with graying hair, and didn't look his sixty-five years. It had been a while since he saw the young man, usually hearing more of clandestine and business affairs in gossip magazines or on the news. "How are you doing?" He gave him a firm handshake.

"I'm doing fine," Bruce replied although he could tell George noticed his slow pace and slight bruise in his hairline. "I need to talk with you for a few minutes."

"Sure, let's go to my office," he said leading the way. It was remarkable how Bruce looked so much like his father and still he mourned the loss of his friend and colleague. "So what's this all about?" George asked sitting behind his desk as Bruce sat in the chair across of him. "Another donation or benefit party—?"

"Actually," Bruce began slowly. "I'm interested in your EMT program."

"We have an excellent program," George interjected and pulled up the roster of employees. "Many who've been with the program for years training rookies. We've even added some new features—"

"I'm actually interested in one of the EMTs," Bruce cut in. He was anxious to find out more about her, but kept his voice calm. "A Sabrina Wallis."

George sat back in his chair. He had always disapproved of the women he supposedly had entanglements with, but it was not his place to say. He was glad the women were more of a dalliance than anything else, but he hoped that one day, Bruce would find someone to settle down with.

"Her name is Dr. Sabrina Wallis," he said watching Bruce's reaction.

Sabrina Wallis came into Gotham General that morning, her head feeling fuzzy. Even with her cup of coffee, she couldn't seem to shake the fog that clouded her mind.

"How'd you survive the earthquake?" her friend Denise Henderson, asked coming to the workstation where Sabrina was charting on a patient's file. Denise worked in the administration department and worked with Sabrina regarding many patient diagnoses so the hospital could bill the insurance and be properly paid. She had a quick wit, and was always bantering with her and their friends.

Sabrina frowned for a moment as if she couldn't remember what happened. There was an earthquake a few days ago. She was sleeping—no she was out in the field when the first one hit—her apartment was—Sabrina thought hard for a moment. She thought she was in her apartment when the earthquake hit. Her place was in disarray, paintings fallen to the floor, books off the bookcase, cracked glass…and a gas leak of some sort. Some of the tenants on the lower floors had to be transported to the hospital. She shook her head. But her place was fine when she left for work this morning.

"Fine, none the worse for wear," Sabrina finally replied. "Brucie survived at least."

Denise smiled. "That's good to hear—oh, look who's coming in the building as we speak."

At the front desk workstation of the reception desk, from Denise's position, she could see the front door. Sabrina stood just behind a support beam that was incorporated as part of the reception area. She peaked around, seeing Bruce Wayne walk in. Silently, her breath caught and looking back down at her papers, continued charting.

Then she shrugged her shoulders. "He always comes to the hospital when he wants to do some kind of benefit thing," said Sabrina.

"He looks kind of banged up," Denise observed. "I wonder what woman did that?"

Sabrina chuckled at her friend's words and shook her head. "I'll see you at lunch," she replied and headed upstairs.

As she reached the fifth floor nurses station, she was paged to call the administrator's office. Probably to be asked to head the charity benefit this year she sighed and picked up the phone.

"Doctor?" said Bruce a bit shocked. He was not used to being surprised.

While Bruce collected his thoughts, George got on the phone. "As I was saying," he continued turning to Bruce after hanging up the receiver, "we added some new features to the program. Dr. Wallis recommended that we have interns go out into the field and see what it's like to work under different kinds of pressure. She likes to take on a shift every now and then. Especially when we're short-handed."

Bruce was silent. He was not sure what to do. Did he want to meet her? What would he say to her? Thank her for bandaging his wounds? Should he ask her out? What if Commissioner Gordon called him away? How would she fit into his life? Maybe he should just walk away, right now—

"Is that how you two met?" George finally asked curiosity getting the better of him. Better to get the right information from the source than the wrong information from the tabloids. "You got injured and she helped you?"

"I was driving home from work when some falling debris hit my car," Bruce explained. "I was lucky she was there or I could have been worse off."

George nodded, accepting his explanation. "I guess you want to thank her personally?"

"I don't—" Before Bruce could finish his sentence, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," said George looking up from Bruce to the door.

"Dr. Stratton, you needed to speak with me?" asked a dark haired beauty with brown eyes walking through the door. She had on sneakers, black slacks and a pink button down shirt under her doctor's coat. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, just as he remembered.

"Actually, someone here would like to thank you," he said getting up heading towards the door. "Sabrina Wallis, allow me to introduce to you Bruce Wayne. Now if you'll both excuse me." Without another word, he left his office.

"Hi, Bruce," said Sabrina, coming over looking up at him. She stood in front of him barely a foot away. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, but on the outside, she remained calm, the picture of confidence. She had papers in her hand, and she held them across her chest like a wall of protection. "I'm glad you see you're up and around. Although you shouldn't be," she added with disapproval.

For the first time in a long time, Bruce's mind raced to find a solution. A solution that he couldn't grasp. She knew him, sans mask, and he was at a loss for words. How long had she known about his other life and what did she intend to do with the information? he wondered.

"I take it Dr. Stratton didn't really want to see me," she said in an amused voice.

"Uh-no," Bruce stammered. He had to say something. "I just—I wanted to thank you for the other night. Uh, for helping me."

"You're welcome," she gave him another radiant smile and it shone through her eyes.

Bruce could only stare at her, marveling at her casual air. She knew his deepest secret but it didn't seem to bother her. She stood waiting patiently for him to reply, to say anything, but nothing came forth. Bruce wanted to talk to her, to tell her everything, his feelings of loneliness, the loss of his parents, why he dons on the mask every night. Yet he was afraid to open up to her. Most of all, he wanted to know how she knew his secret. A secret he shared with a trusted few. A few he felt could be put in harm's way at any moment because they were connected to him.

Sabrina stood there smiling, liking the silence between them and being able to look at this man of mystery from close up. Granted Bruce Wayne wasn't really a mystery because his life was splattered across the media. Yet, there was something about him that he kept in reserve. She knew what that something was, but it was still different meeting him face to face.

He was handsome with his black hair—short on the sides, a little longer on top that kept falling on his forehead—and striking blue eyes. Eyes that kept her mesmerized. Eyes full of questions, longing and pain. A square jaw framed a boyish face and she knew he had a lean, muscular body under his dark blue suit. Sabrina wondered as she looked up at him, if he felt as uncomfortable as he looked. The other night, he seemed so self-assured, in control and insistent, despite the considerable amount of pain he was in. Sabrina wanted to reach out to him, to stroke his cheek, to tell him everything was going to be all right. But would he reject her? She resisted the urge, clutching her papers tightly to her, hoping her nervous palms weren't destroying the information on them. Hopefully she could leave soon. She needed to get out of the room, to get some air and clear her thoughts.

"Well," she finally said breaking the silence. "I've got rounds to make." She stuck out her hand praying it was nice and dry. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Wayne." She became formal in her good-bye, hoping to put him at ease.

Bruce reached for her hand. Like a puzzle it seemed to fit right into his perfectly. Her hand was cool to the touch and he felt excited and nervous just being near her.

"Would you like to go to dinner tonight?" Bruce blurted, still holding her hand, feeling a void being filled in his heart. "I mean, if you're not working tonight."

Sabrina grinned. "I'd love to," she answered easily. "Pick me up about 6:30?"

"Yes, that would be fine," he replied, relieved she said yes. His whole body relaxed at her answer.

"Will you drive or will Alfred?" Sabrina asked, finally getting her hand back. She tried to look relaxed even though her stomach was churning with excitement and fear and her heart was pounding in her ears.

Bruce thought for a moment. Alfred drove him everywhere, though it wasn't necessary. He just kept it up for appearances sake. "Alfred will drive us," he finally decided.

"All right then, I'll see you both later." She turned to leave surprised her legs knew what to do, let alone the way to the door.

"Aren't you going to give me your address and phone number?" he asked, trying to stop her from leaving. Bruce didn't want her to go quite yet.

"You mean you don't already have it?" Sabrina wondered looking at him.

He gave a sheepish smile. "I'll see you tonight," he said and heard her laugh as she walked out the door.

Sabrina noticed the stares she received as she left Dr. Stratton's office. Everyone knew Bruce Wayne was in the building, rare were his appearances. Already, a buzz was floating amongst the staff, but Sabrina concentrated on her work.

At lunch, Denise was exited to talk to her. "Well, did you get to meet the infamous Bruce Wayne?" she asked eagerly.

Two other friends—Tracie and Becca—waved to them and Denise motioned them to come over. They just sat down as Sabrina was paged.

"Sorry guys," she said with a shrug. "I'll talk to you later." Nothing happened, and nothing will, she told herself. Bruce was not interested in her, but the information that she had. She kept telling herself that because she didn't want to have any hope. For fear of a devastating disappointment.

After a few more minutes with George, they had agreed that another benefit party was in order and George would have his staff members call his people later to work out the details. Bruce headed home though he should have gone back to work, but knew Lucius could handle things as he usually did in his absence.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"So where are we going tonight?" asked Alfred as he helped his long-time charge get ready for his date.

"Someplace small, quiet," Bruce thought aloud as he got out of the shower. He decided to wear something casual that evening, a pair of grey slacks, a dark blue sweater and his black leather jacket. Even dressed down, he still looked dressed up to the nines.

In the back of his town car, he let his mind wander to the woman he was going to dinner with. She was unlike any of the other women he'd met previously. First and foremost she knew his secret, but it didn't seem to bother her, going about her daily routine as he did. Intelligent as well as beautiful, he sensed that Dr. Stratton thought highly of her.

Even Alfred seemed pleased that she was a doctor by trade. Not just a socialite whose main goal was to catch a rich husband.

"Master Bruce, we're here," spoke Alfred breaking him of his thoughts.

Bruce took a deep breath. He was nervous, a little anxious. But that was because he needed to know what she knew about him. That was all.

There was a knock at Sabrina's door at exactly six-thirty.

"Ready?" Bruce asked as she welcomed him to her apartment. Quickly he looked around, taking in the surroundings. The apartment was roomy, sparsely decorated and neat. Just like her bedroom. There were no pictures of family, but she did have some unusual pieces of abstract paintings on the wall.

"I just need to get my jacket," said Sabrina disappearing into the bedroom. She was back in a flash and grabbing her bag, she was ready to go.

"You look beautiful," breathed Bruce staring at her.

Sabrina suddenly seemed shy with his comment. She was wearing a simple red off-the-shoulder sweater and beige slacks with comfortable boots.

Reaching for her jacket, Bruce helped her put it on as they headed out the door. Standing behind her, he smelled the fragrance of her hair—gardenias—and for a moment, he was lost.

"Thank you," she finally said. "Both for the compliment and for helping me with my jacket." He was close, and Sabrina could feel his hands on her shoulders. She was still stunned that he was there with her. It's a dream, she thought pessimistically, he was just a dream.

"You're welcome," he replied, pleased to see her flustered for once.

"Alfred seems nice," said Sabrina after they got seated. It was a quaint little restaurant near the edge of town on a small hill overlooking the mountains. "You're lucky to have him."

Bruce had come to the mountain inn several times when he wanted to have an unobtrusive business lunch. The host and the rest of the staff assured him that he would not be bothered, keeping those that recognized him at bay.

For the evening, the lights were dimmed, the tables lit with votive candles. In the fireplace at one end of the room, a fire was lit to ward off the evening chill. That evening it wasn't crowded at all.

Bruce sighed. He knew Alfred wished he could do more for him and he was grateful that he had been at his side from the beginning. He also knew that Alfred still had hopes that he might settle down one day.

"I'm lucky he's stuck with me for all the trouble I've caused him—"

"Or will cause him," Sabrina interjected, glad that the meals had come. She could feel his eyes on her, studying her, as if trying to understand her.

"Or will cause him," agreed Bruce with a smile, seeing her nervousness.

"But, Bruce. Tell me why you wanted to take _me_ out to dinner?" she asked him candidly. She couldn't believe that she was there with him. Would he have to leave right away, their dinner interrupted? Or would they be able to enjoy themselves for a little bit? "Are you getting tired of you Candy's, Brandy's and Tiffany's?"

Bruce smiled. "It's hard to get away from a reputation I helped build," he sighed. "By the way, Sabrina," he paused and took a sip of his drink. "Where was Brucie?"

Sabrina starred at him for moment. Her great Dane was in the bedroom and didn't feel like coming out, as if he already knew Bruce. She had a sense of understanding. He must have disturbed her dog the night before. "In the bedroom," she answered after some hesitation. "I take it you met him last night."

"Guilty," Bruce confessed. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you but I wanted to see the woman who could know so much about me, yet nothing about you is on the net at all."

"Except for my DMV records," she nodded. She was an exceptional doctor, but nothing that merited much attention. She didn't want it and she didn't need it.

"Except for that," smiled Bruce. "So why do you know so much," he wanted to know glad for the opening in the conversation. He had to know. "Or should I say, how?" There weren't very many people around and he had a feeling she would be discreet.

Sabrina looked into his eyes, and she could sense that he was worried. Worried that he didn't know her and that she might give away his secret. A secret that if people knew what he did outside of Wayne Enterprises, could get him and the people he cared about, killed. Her heart plummeted. Of course he was interested in her, just to find out how she knew about him in the first place. She had known that, and had told herself that over and over that this was the reason he took her to dinner. She would take care to reassure him that his secret was safe. Then she could go back to her life before him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"About five years ago, I moved to Metropolis and a friend of mine showed me a picture of you and your latest conquest," Sabrina began looking down at the napkin she was fiddling with. She paused a moment and cleared her throat, pushing down the disappointment, knowing that she would have to bare a little of her soul. "That picture intrigued me and I searched the net for everything and all Bruce Wayne. Business reports, tabloid articles, and there were lots of photos."

There were certainly a lot of those, thought Bruce with the shake of his head.

"To make a long story short, although most of the photos were of supposedly happy occasions—a merger, a party—it never seemed to reach your eyes," she continued taking a sip of her water and met his eyes. Striking blue eyes that mesmerized her, that seemed to draw her to him. "They always seemed a bit—sad, reserved. I found out why—"

"And why do I always look—sad—as you say?" Bruce asked leaning towards her. Her voice had become soft, just enough for him to hear.

"Your parents were murdered and you want to protect everyone from going through what you went through," Sabrina finished reaching out to touch his hand. She wanted to reassure him that everything would be all right.

Bruce gave a ragged breath. She had known for a long time who he was and what he had become, yet said nothing. For five years. Her touch calmed him and the void he felt when his parents died seemed to close, filled by her words. When he listened to her, her voice soothed him and he could listen to her talk forever.

Suddenly, everything he became, everything he stood for was made clear because she made it clear. It was something he had always known, but could never share with a woman. A few people knew why he had become the man he was, but they really didn't understand it. Sabrina did.

"So Bri, when did you move to Gotham?" Absentmindedly, he stroked the back of her hand, not wanting to let her go.

"George called me about three years ago about a job opportunity and I was ready to leave that town," she explained with a shrug. She tried not to focus on his hand, his touch electrifying her. "So here I am." She took a breath. She was done, and she was ready to leave. She hated not knowing the future, but she couldn't imagine Bruce wanting a future…with her. She didn't travel in his circle and she would only be in his way.

"You've known about me for five years," he said incredulously, the dread in the back of his mind lifting. "And you never told anyone." He had met a friend tonight, an ally, and he could see a future forming. He still didn't know how she would fit in, but he could see a future.

Sabrina shook her head. "No reason to." She had kept his secret because she saw no reason to exploit it. Batman was good for Gotham, and the city needed his presence.

Instantly, Bruce seemed to relax. He had let her hand go when desert was served, but he wanted to be done with dinner and talk with her more.

"By the way," she added eating a spoonful of her ice cream brownie desert. "I know about Clark." She knew they were allies and she wanted him to know.

"Clark?" frowned Bruce as if he didn't know what she was talking about.

Sabrina nodded, "His secret."

"How?" he wondered. He still wasn't clear how she found out about him.

Sabrina reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of sunglasses. She put them on, paused for a minute, then took them off.

Bruce chuckled.

"Facial features don't change behind glasses or cowls. And even though it took me a year to figure things out, I knew I guessed correctly."

"You based everything on facial features?" he confirmed.

Sabrina nodded. "I'd recognize those lips of your anywhere," she replied boldly.

Bruce flushed red, not used to the kind of attention Sabrina gave him. Her words were genuine, not a come on. "Are you always this bold with men you're interested in?"

She shrugged turning away from his gaze. "No," she answered succinctly. "I was actually flattered that you asked me out. I'm still reeling from the shock actually."

"You intrigued me," said Bruce reaching out to hold her hand again. "You were interested in someone I thought was just a disguise. Overshadowed by—my shadow."

Sabrina smiled, but then her brow creased in a frown. Reaching for her pager, she looked at it, pressing a few buttons. "I have to get to the hospital," she said gathering her things together. He seemed relieved by her revelations and she was glad. She was also glad that she was paged and not him that evening. She could make a graceful exit and keep her mind focused on other things.

With a nod, Bruce took care of the bill and they headed home.

"I hope you had a nice dinner, Alfred," said Sabrina to their driver as she got in the car.

"Thank you Miss, I did," he replied looking at them through the rearview mirror. Bruce looked happy and that was what he wanted. He had wanted that for a long time.

Turning to her companion, Sabrina said, "Thank you for this evening. I really—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Bruce leaned over to kiss her, something he wanted to do since he first saw her that evening. Her lips were soft and unexpecting, and once she realized what he was doing, leaned into him. His arms slipped around her shoulders, pulling her closer but reluctantly Bruce pulled back, brushing kisses on her cheek.

"Thank you," he breathed, nuzzling the side of her neck, "for seeing me who I really am." He pulled back and looked tenderly into her eyes. "I could wait for you at the hospital," he suggested. Their evening ended too early and he wanted more time with her. She was being taken away from him too soon.

Sabrina shook her head. "I'm not sure how long I'll be and besides, aren't you going out tonight?"

Bruce was amazed. She never let him forget his responsibilities and he could talk freely to her without having to make up excuses.

"I could cancel," he offered wondering if he would really do it.

"You'd feel guilty," she answered back, her body still reeling from his kiss. She felt hope that he wanted more from her than just one dinner as she felt his kiss still tingling on her lips. She was confused. He couldn't possible by interested in her. He had gotten what he wanted. Tonight should have been the end of it.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow night," said Bruce knowing it was too long to wait until then.

"Ok," she said has he helped her get out of the car. Suddenly, she felt elated. And a bit scared.

"Eight o'clock," he continued handing her her things. "Dress formal."

"Formal?" frowned Sabrina.

"Charity party for my friend, Veronica Vreeland."

"Glad you warned me," Sabrina replied her heart beating in her chest, ready to burst. "Now I have to go shopping."

"Then it's date." It wasn't a question.

She nodded as if she had a choice, and gave Bruce a quick kiss before she dashed off. He was going to walk her up but she had already run into the lobby of her building. At the door, she turned around to wave bye and gave him one of her radiant smiles.

"I take it she's a keeper?" asked Alfred driving them home.

"I hope so," Bruce said wistfully looking in the rear-view mirror, watching the building recede as they pulled away. "I certainly hope so."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The night was quiet, and Batman was glad. He patrolled his usual route around Gotham and let the police handle the minor incidents. From rooftop to rooftop he swung over the city, pausing only for a moment to scan the surrounding area to see if anything was amiss. If everything seemed all right, he would move on, his mind leading him elsewhere.

His thoughts turned mainly to one person and he hoped it wouldn't interfere when it came time for him to make his presence known. He prided himself on his concentration, attention to detail, but when he thought of Sabrina, all he could see was the image of her, her smile and twinkling eyes. He could still hear her soothing voice and although he was still Batman, he looked forward to seeing Sabrina as Bruce Wayne.

He had dropped Sabrina off almost two hours before and now it was almost ten o'clock. He happened to be passing over her complex when he spied a figure on the roof. It was an improved roof, one that sported an exercise track and stations every quarter of the track.

His heart lifted seeing Sabrina running along the track with her dog. She was wearing a gray sweat suit, her ponytail bouncing along behind her as she ran. Batman stood in a dark corner watching her every move, studying everything about her.

Brucie was the first to notice his presence, stopping to look his way. This time, he did not growl. Sabrina looked around but saw no one. She seemed to feel his presence instead.

"Hey Bruce," she said quietly as he stepped out from the shadows.

"Hello, Sabrina," he said, his voice deeper as it was when he was in costume. "How was work?" He walked towards her stopping in front of her.

"I was there for about an hour, but it was nothing major that I couldn't handle," she replied grabbing Brucie by the collar and putting his leash on. She smiled and looked up at him feeling her heart beating rapidly. And she knew it wasn't because she had been running.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked looking down at her dog. Brucie looked up at the Dark Knight as if apologetic.

"I named him after you," she laughed feeling his sense of annoyance with his namesake. "About a year after my research was done, George got him as a gift and—" Sabrina just shrugged, grinning from ear to ear, much to his chagrin.

"I've got to go," Batman said feeling as if he had stayed too long. Normally, he wouldn't have paid her a visit, but he was in the area and she just happened to be on the rooftop. Perfect timing.

"Thanks for stopping by," she said moving towards him and wrapping her arms around him. Sabrina had hoped to see him before the morning, and was glad he was there. She didn't know how long he would want to keep seeing her, but she would enjoy him while she could, pushing her trepidations out of her mind.

As usual, Batman was surprised at her candidness, but slowly, he put his arms around her, encompassing her small frame. Her cheek lay comfortably on his chest, his chin resting on her head. Their breathing became in sync, and the masked man couldn't think of any place he would rather be at the moment.

Sabrina sighed. She loved Bruce's arms around her she felt safe and protected and wished they could have time to talk. She wanted to tell him about her, but not now, not tonight. He had to go. "You'd better get back to work," she said pulling back just enough to look up at him.

Batman shook his head in wonder. Get back to work, he thought. Just another part of his life.

"I'll see you to—" Before she could finish, lips descended on hers, and he drank from her as if it were his life essence, his Lazarus Pit. The kiss would've lasted for eternity, but he had to go.

Pulling away, he took a few steps back trying to clear his head.

"Concentrate," she said with a smile. "I'll be here."

Turning, he shot out a grappling hook and swung to the next rooftop. Then he turned to look back at her. Just as Sabrina reached the door, she turned, waved and gave him a smile.

Feeling calm from her words, he cleared his mind. And he was able to work the rest of the night, keeping thoughts of Sabrina safely tucked away.

Sabrina took a deep breath, making sure to lock up behind her. She still couldn't believe he took the time to see her; that he would want to see her again. She was afraid that when she met him, if she ever had the opportunity, that he wouldn't give her a second glance. But now, she had hope, and the memory of Bruce's kiss lingered as she went to bed, a smile on her lips.

Sabrina went to work the next day oblivious of all the whispers and stares directed toward her. She concentrated on her patient's needs and it was only during her lunch break was she approached.

"Hey Denise," she said joining her in the staff lounge. "How are things?"

"Great," she said smiling at her oblivious friend. Just then, two nurses joined them. "Hi, Tracie. Hi, Becca," said Denise. Tracie liked to observe the conversation before adding her opinion, while Becca had a ready smile and always hoped for the best. They were glad that this time she didn't take off on them.

"Hi," they both replied in unison, looking at Sabrina with grins stretching across their faces.

"Well?" Tracie asked looking at Denise.

She motioned for them to be quiet with a wave of her hand and a shake of her head.

"Guys, what's going on?" Sabrina asked suspiciously looking at each one of them. She loved the fact that they could hang out when they were at work and when the hospital wasn't bustling with activity, but they loved too much drama. However, they kept her in the loop with some of the latest gossip.

Becca couldn't wait any longer and pushed a tabloid magazine in front of Sabrina.

"I was going to ask you about your new boyfriend," smiled Denise, "but obviously Becca here couldn't wait." She wrinkled her nose at her friend and sometimes wondered why they were friends at all.

"Yeah, they have a dozen or so pictures of you and Bruce Wayne," Tracie jumped in seeing that Sabrina had no idea how they knew about him. "And we want to know if he's the bad boy billionaire we've read about."

Sabrina sighed and looked at the front-page photo. Opening the paper, there were more shots of them, all about the time they left the restaurant the night before so she could get to work.

"He's really nice," she replied un-phased by their grilling. "A true gentleman."

"Oh, come on," scoffed Tracie. "Did he try to seduce you?"

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "I was paged and we had to end the night early," she protested. "There was no time for seduction."

"Not even a kiss?" Becca asked.

Sabrina just laughed and shook her head. Her friends couldn't tell if she was saying no, she didn't get kissed, or if she was just exasperated with them.

"Are you going to see him tonight?" Denise asked.

"Dinner," she said finishing her lunch. She didn't really want to talk about her and Bruce because at this point, there was nothing to talk about. They only had one date and she did most of the talking.

"Must be the charity ball of Veronica Vreeland," said Tracie. "It's been on the news that it costs about $10,000 a plate and donations all will be given to various charities around Gotham."

"I had to leave quickly that Bruce didn't get a chance to say," said Sabrina with a shrug. "He just said dinner for a friend."

The girls giggled, speculating on their friend's budding romance, especially with a notorious playboy like Bruce Wayne. He was the biggest catch in Gotham, and for years women have tried to snag him. Maybe this time, he wouldn't get away.

"I've got to go," said Sabrina with a shake of her head. "I sometimes don't know why I stay friends with you guys."

"Because we're fun to be around," Denise called after her with a laugh.

For the rest of the afternoon, Sabrina finally acknowledged the stares she got. But no one dared approach her. She sighed. Perhaps she should just get used to it, she thought.

After her shift ended, Sabrina headed to the mall. She knew which store she wanted to browse and hoped she could find a dress quickly. She didn't have much time.

Pulling a few dresses from the rack, she first tried on a black strapless dress. She gave a shake of her head, wishing she had a friend she could've taken shopping. Both Denise and Tracie had plans they couldn't cancel and Becca had to work the next shift.

She sighed as she thought about her sister. Susana became a nut case ever since their parents died when they were sixteen. So Sabrina was glad she was safely tucked away in a mental institution in Metropolis. Pushing family out of her thoughts, she concentrated on getting the perfect dress.

Sabrina made her decision and chose a red silk dress with off the shoulder three-quarter sleeves and a slit on the left leg that stopped at her thigh. With a smile, she paid for the purchase and dashed home.

Styling her hair herself, Sabrina left it long and loose letting it fall to the middle of her back. She preferred it up in a ponytail, but that wouldn't do for tonight's party.

As she got her earrings on, the doorbell rang.

"I'll be right there," she called out. Quickly walking to the door trying not to fall on her heels, Bruce was greeted with a big grin. "Hi, Bruce," she said twirling around. "Do I look ok?"

"Ok?" scoffed Bruce. "Sabrina, you look stunning." He paused a moment as she smiled at him. He wished they could skip the party and stay here, but instead he said," Let's go."

She nodded grabbing a small clutch and her coat.

Getting into the limousine, she greeted Alfred.

"It's good to see you again, Miss Sabrina," he replied with smile. He truly was happy indeed to see her again.

"I just wanted to let you know I hadn't invited anyone else to his dinner," Bruce offered after a moment of silence. He held her hand in his, keeping her close.

"Oh? I kind of wondered about that," she replied. His reputation did nag in the back of her mind, planting seeds of doubt and distrust. But she had to remind herself that he also had other commitments that occupied a lot of his time. "So you were going to show up by yourself?"

"I probably would have made up some excuse that my date had a migraine and canceled at the last minute," he thought aloud, looking down at her hand. He stroked the back of it and felt ready to face the socialites.

"Or, she caught you in a compromising position with her best friend?" suggested Sabrina nudging him on his shoulder. "That would make for more interesting gossip."

Bruce smiled. And it would add to his already notorious reputation.

"I'm glad you're with me," he said softly looking down at her squeezing her hand. He pulled her even closer, his arm snug around her shoulders.

"Me too," she answered feeling protected in his arms and let the comfortable silence fill the cabin of the limo.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"You ready?" Bruce asked as they stood near the entrance of the ballroom.

The room, not to mention the Vreeland mansion, was expansive and Sabrina wondered if it was as large as Wayne Manor. Even as they entered the circular driveway, the cars were parked far enough away that it hardly seemed if anyone was there. Inside, the entryway was the size of her apartment and doors around the room lead to other rooms and other areas of the house.

The ballroom and adjoining dining room was to their right and they could see guests already milling around, drinks and conversation floating around the room.

"No," she replied gripping his hand. She wasn't used to crowds or being in the spotlight, but being with Bruce could change all that. Still, she had a chance to run, she thought, though she wasn't sure if she was serious or not.

"You'll do fine," he reassured her leaning over to kiss her on the lips. At that moment, they saw a flash of lights in the corner of their eyes.

"Photographers," Bruce sighed. Given his choice, they would only be there for as long as necessary, then they would make up an excuse to leave. But somehow, he knew Sabrina would make the evening bearable. "Come on." And he pulled her into the room.

As they walked in, all eyes turned to them and from the outskirts of the room, flashbulbs went off. Bruce, accustomed to the flashing of lights, ignored it and greeted their host.

"Hello, Ronnie," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Glad you could make it Bruce," Veronica replied eyeing his companion. She didn't recognize the woman as traveling in their circle and she wondered who she was, where she was from, and what she did for a living.

"Hello," said Sabrina shyly as Bruce introduced her. While she shook their host's hand, she kept hold of Bruce's arm.

"Welcome," Veronica said cordially looking at the woman up and down. She was pretty, but plain. She needed more make-up and her hair needed to be professionally styled. But she seemed right for Bruce, someone who could take care of him so he knew where his head was. "I'm very pleased that Bruce has finally found someone to bring that he just won't dump after one night."

Sabrina looked at Bruce who gave a sheepish shrug.

"Who knows?" quipped Sabrina. "I just might be a three day romance."

Veronica gave another smile and excused herself. As Bruce and Sabrina made their way around the room, Sabrina became more comfortable with the people she was introduced to. All were wealthy beyond her imagination as she was still paying off student loans, and could easily afford the donation. Some were old family friends, others new into their money. It was clear that while they were glad Bruce could make it, they were surprised that he would choose to bring someone outside their circle. But they tolerated him and his antics, and the woman at his side tonight would not be same one next time.

As the evening wore on, Sabrina could tell Bruce was bored. But it was his duty to be there as part of the elite. Bruce smiled at Sabrina as she gazed at him feeling the party more bearable with her there. He was usually anxious to take his leave, but now he could wait a while and mingle. He just made sure to keep Sabrina close to him.

"I just wanted to let you know there are a lot of former—uh—acquaintances here tonight," Bruce explained. They had just finished dinner and were now in the main ballroom dancing to music.

"I thought I saw a few eyeing you as if you were the one that got away," nodded Sabrina following Bruce's lead.

They were almost oblivious to every else for a minute, the music engulfing them as they danced across the floor. Sabrina's hand lay lightly on Bruce's shoulder, his arm around the small of her back, holding her close. He could feel her long hair brush against the back of his hand as they swayed to the music.

He was so handsome, Sabrina thought as her hand moved from his shoulder to the nape of his neck. His hair was cut short as usual, a little falling on his forehead. She smiled at him, content to be in his arms, unaware of the stares they were receiving. She felt a tap on her shoulder and the spell was broken.

Veronica cut in and Sabrina excused herself to the ladies' room.

"So tell me more about her Bruce," Veronica said watching Sabrina walk away. "Where did you two meet?"

"Gotham General," he replied. "She's a doctor."

"Oh, a doctor," she said with a nod of curiosity more than approval.

In the ladies' room, Sabrina fixed what little make-up she had on at the vanity mirror. As she reapplied her lipstick, powdered her face and checked her hair, she felt stares from women coming in and out of the ladies room. Nearby, two women who were sitting in the lounge got the courage to approach her.

"We couldn't help but notice you're with Brucie," said the blond-haired lady. She was a foot taller than Sabrina, and she had to look up at her to meet her heavily painted eyes.

"Yes, and you are?" Sabrina asked.

"Bambi Travers," she answered. "Brucie probably doesn't remember me but we dated once."

"Me too. I'm Tiffany Richmond," said the auburn-haired woman. "But don't be surprised if he doesn't call you back after tonight."

"Oh, Bruce and I are just friends," said Sabrina silently observing them. First of all, they wore too much makeup. They were voluptuous and they were hanging out of their spaghetti strap dresses. Bambi sported a tattoo on her shoulder blade, which she had seen earlier and Tiffany wore one on each wrist like bracelets. They had too much perfume on and too much to drink from the smell of their breath. They were probably daddy's princesses and if they caught Bruce, it would just mean more spending money.

"Oh, honey," began Bambi. "The way how you looked at him tonight looked like you're in love. Take our advice. Run away as fast as you can or he'll break your heart."

Her friend nodded vehemently.

Through the window of the room, Sabrina saw the Bruce's private signal light up the night sky. Just as well, she thought looking at the time. She had to go to work the next day anyway.

"Thanks for the advice," she said politely excusing herself.

Out of the corner of his eye, Bruce saw his private pager. Just as he was about to extricate himself from Veronica to find Sabrina, he saw her walking towards him.

"The hospital paged me," she said as she reached his side. Immediately Bruce put his arm around her waist.

"Ok," said Bruce turning to Veronica. "Sorry, Ronnie, but we have to go."

"Well, I'm glad you both could come," she said as they went to collect their things. "Good to see you again Bruce."

Getting in the car, Bruce asked, "Did you really get a call from work?"

Sabrina laughed an amused laugh and answered, "And I thought you were a great detective."

Bruce gave her a pleased smiled. She had given him a plausible alibi, one he didn't have to make up this time. And tonight, he didn't have to play the fool as he normally did. He was happy for the first time in his life since his parents died and all he could think of was when he would see her again.

"I'll probably stop by tonight," said Bruce walking her to the lobby this time.

"I'll leave the balcony doors open," she said and gave him a quick kiss.

But Bruce pulled her to him before she could get away and kissed her, his lips locking with hers for a few seconds longer.

On the rooftop above police headquarters, Commissioner Jim Gordon waited for his ally. While a few didn't approve of Batman's methods, he worked within the law and left the dealing of justice to the judges and the courts. Jim breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a familiar figure join him on the rooftop.

"What is it, Jim?" he asked, his voice deep, almost gravelly.

"I got a new one for you, Batman," he said handing him some photos. They were unclear photos of a person with their back to the camera at all times. With long hair and a leather jacket, they couldn't identify the person as a man or woman.

"The thief stole some money and jewelry, but was very careful to avoid the cameras," explained Jim. "I was hoping you could help out just in case he could turn out to be more dangerous than we expect." He paused for a moment then added, "It could be our friend Selena Kyle with a wig."

Batman nodded taking the photos with him. "I'll see what I can do." Then he took off.

In the cave, Batman glanced over the police report and once again looked at the pictures. There was nothing he could use to make any identification. The report listed the stolen items and that the burglary happened between eight-thirty and ten the night before. Quickly, his mind raced to Sabrina, but he shook his head. She was at the hospital during that time, so there were witnesses who could give her an alibi. She was home before ten, which was when he was with her. But it takes her about fifteen minutes to get from work to home, came a thought from the back of his mind. Batman shook his head. She was different he tried to tell himself, pushing the thought away. But now, there was a seed of doubt planted and he began to wonder about her. He hardly knew her at all, but that was the point of going out on dates with her.

Batman sat in the cave studying the photos for a while longer before he decided it wasn't Catwoman. It just wasn't her style.

Leaving the cave, he headed out into the night sky to finish his patrol, heading in one direction. He felt that she would be waiting for him despite the lateness of the hour.

The clock read four a.m. when she heard Bruce come in through the balcony doors. She loved the summer months when she could leave the doors open to catch a cool breeze. Quietly, he made his way into her room, hoping not to wake her. He was prepared to sit in a nearby chair, happy to just watch her when she stirred.

"How was your night?" she asked sleepily moving to make room for him on her queen-sized bed. Her dog at the foot, lifted its head when Bruce landed on the balcony, then went back to sleep.

"Quiet," he replied sitting next to her. She was tucked in her blankets, her hair spread around her pillows.

Her eyes were closed but she nodded in reply.

"I'm sorry I'm here so late," he apologized seeing how tired she was. He was torn. He desperately wanted to stay, but his mind told him to leave. He needed to sort things out, to find out more about this woman who intrigued him so.

Sabrina gave him a smile, her eyes stilled closed. "I really didn't expect you any earlier," she answered, sounding more awake. "Are you staying?"

Bruce looked at the woman just an arm length away. She was wearing a T-shirt and pajama shorts, no negligee to seduce him. She expected him, but wasn't waiting for him. He was the one chasing her, not the other way around. He wasn't used to that and now he wasn't sure what to do.

As he sat pondering his next move, Sabrina's hand fell against his thigh. It was warm from being in the covers and he longed for more than an accidental touch. Bruce took a deep breath and took off his mask.

Sabrina opened her eyes hearing him move. "You're going to stay?" she asked as his cowl fell to the floor.

Bruce nodded and pulled her close to kiss her.

Now she was awake and melted at his touch. Sabrina devoured his lips, breathless and electrified.

Completely devoid of his costume, Bruce slipped between the sheets, undressing Sabrina in the process. He loved the feel of her skin, so smooth and warm. He was gentle with his touch, and slow with his movements, wanting to savor every moment. It had been a long time since he felt a woman's warmth.

Sabrina's hands traveled the length of him, running the length of his back to his shoulder blades, and ran her fingers through his hair. He felt strong and firm from years of training and experience. His kisses were passionate and his hands inflamed her skin. She loved every inch of him and pushed away the panic she felt of the thought of him leaving her. He was here, she thought, and she wasn't sure what the future held. For now, she would just savor the time she had with him.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Sabrina marveled that Bruce was still there next to her. He was still asleep on his stomach, his face turned towards her. She reached over to stroke his shoulder when his eyes opened.

At first, Bruce was unsure of where he was until he saw Sabrina. A slow smile spread across his face, remembering the night before and pulled her close, tenderly kissing her lips and face. He would shrug all his responsibilities if he could, just to be with her. But as always, it could never be that simple. Nothing was ever that simple. Her arms were wrapped around him tightly as if she was afraid to let him go. Reluctantly, she pulled back. He didn't want her to go either, and he wondered when he would wake up from his dream. If it was a dream, he hoped he would never wake up.

"I've got to get ready for work," she said, her voice trembling a bit.

"What's wrong?" Bruce stopped her.

Sabrina shook her head, giving him a bittersweet smile. "It's just that I love every moment with you, I'm afraid of never feeling anything like this again."

Bruce kissed her to reassure her. "I'll always be with you," he promised. He wanted to say more, and he sensed she wanted to say more herself, but her alarm sounded. Six-thirty read the clock.

"What time do you get off?" he asked as she pulled him into the shower. They wanted to savor every moment, as if it were their last. He felt an uneasy feeling creep up in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away.

"Eleven-thirty," she replied watching the water cascade down between them. Her fingers touched him, memorizing every sinew, imprinting him into her memory. "I work a double shift tonight."

"Then I'll see you tonight," he said toweling her dry. He would never get tired of looking at her.

"You wanna stay for breakfast?" she asked as she finished getting dressed. She put some distance between them. If she lingered, or if he lingered, she would never make it to work.

"I've got to go," he said almost fully in his costume. He didn't usually travel in the daylight, but it wasn't uncommon to see the masked vigilante every now and again during the day. He was just more careful not to be seen. Especially now, since he was coming out of Sabrina's apartment. "I have a ten o'clock meeting I can't miss." He gave her one last kiss and headed out the balcony doors. With one last took, he was gone.

In the kitchen, Sabrina began making a quick breakfast. She only had a few minutes before she had to leave for work. As she wolfed down breakfast and headed towards the front door, a canister of smoke suddenly crashed through the window of her dining room clouding the entire apartment. She coughed uncontrollably, dropping her things, tears stinging her eyes. No! she thought desperately. Not now.

Blinded and choking, Sabrina tried to make her way to the door to let the smoke out when she was attacked from behind. She felt a boot strike her in the back, and she grunted with pain as she struck the door. She tried to get out of the way as another foot tried to strike her through the smoke, defending herself as best she could. Despite not seeing her attacker, she knew who it was.

Through the cloud, Sabrina reached out and managed to grab hold of an arm. Sabrina threw her assailant against the wall between the living and dining room knocking down her paintings. A dent appeared where she landed, dazing the woman. Sabrina watched her carefully and slowly backed up, heading towards the front door. As the smoke cleared, she finally saw her getting up, a menacing look directed at her.

"Susana," Sabrina hissed as her sister lunged for her, stopping her from getting to the door. She thought she could sidestep her, but she was knocked down against the kitchen counter. She shook her head trying to catch her breath, pain coursing through her side. As she got up, she groaned as she was hit in the back. She fell to the floor once more and rolled to the side. She got up and kicked Susana in the stomach, but it wasn't good enough to keep her down. Susana put on a gas mask and she opened another canister.

Overwhelmed by the suffocating air, Sabrina could do nothing as Susana rushed for her. Within a few minutes, she was knocked out.

"Wake up, Sabrina," Susana said kicking the chair her captive was strapped to. "We've got issues to discuss."

"What do you want from me?" rasped Sabrina shaking her head. It was throbbing along with her jaw. She could feel pain all over her body and she wondered if anything was broken. She sighed wishing she could help her sister, knowing she couldn't. She had tried. Susana didn't want any help.

"Want from you?" Susana laughed circling the chair. "I should _be_ you. I shouldn't be locked up like a criminal."

"You're a petty thief," cried Sabrina. "If you worked harder to reach your dreams, whatever they might be, instead of taking the easy way out, you probably wouldn't have been locked away."

"I guess trying to kill you didn't help either," said Susana dismissively.

Sabrina glared at her. "I left Metropolis three years ago so I could make a fresh start. I had hoped you could move on with your life once you got out as well."

"Well I decided to carry a grudge instead. It helped me bear the days I was staring at the same four walls," said Susana grabbing her sister's chin in her hand. "But you know what prompted me to get out?"

Sabrina's eyes narrowed and yanked her head away.

She sister began walking around the apartment, orating as if she was on a stage, furniture strewn about. "When I saw your picture in the entertainment news, with the wealthiest and most eligible bachelor in Gotham, let alone the world." Susana faced her fuming sister. "I just had to come and see you."

"Don't…hurt…him," Sabrina warned, emphasizing each and every word.

"Once I get you out of the way, he's all mine," she whispered, leaning close to her. Susana then headed for the phone. "Now where is his number?"

"I don't have it," was the quick reply. Susana was tearing up the apartment, and turning her life upside-down—again. And being tied up, she couldn't do anything about it. She thought of Bruce, how he would get out of this situation, but she had none of the gadgets he had access to, nor anything hidden up her sleeves.

"What do you mean you don't have it?" Susana screamed pushing things off the counter.

"I've never called him and he's never called me," she explained trying to loosen her bonds. They were too tight. "And he's not listed."

Susana screeched and sat down at the computer. At least she had one, she mumbled to herself. She spent the rest of the morning devising a plan to get the billionaire's attention. This should be fun, she thought to herself as she looked up Wayne Enterprises on the web. It wasn't fair that Sabrina had all the luck.

It was early afternoon when Bruce linked into the Bat computer, downloading the information he was waiting for. The burglar struck again, this time in broad daylight, and this time they had pictures, as if the thief wanted to be caught.

One frame showed her profile and in the next one, Bruce saw her face, smiling and winking at the camera. He gasped, recognizing the features he came to love. He felt his heart sink and his stomach churn. Suddenly, he felt exhausted, more than if he'd been up for several nights fighting crime in the city.

"Are you ok Bruce?" Lucius asked him. They were crunching some numbers for a takeover and he had just come back from getting some reports they needed. Within a few minutes from leaving the room, Bruce's face looked drained of color.

"I don't think lunch agreed with me," he said shutting down his computer and getting up. "I need to go home. You got things taken care of for the rest of the day?"

"Yeah, we can finish this Monday," Lucius replied. "Sorry I had to call you in on a Saturday. I hope you weren't planning on seeing Sabrina."

"No problem. Sabrina said she had to work, but I don't think I'm going to see her again." Although he sounded normal, he felt his breath coming out in gasps. He needed to get out, to get some air. At the thought of his loss, his body suddenly ached, knowing what he had to do. She was so perfect, and all that he imagined came crashing down. His hopes were dashed, but maybe it was all for the best. He hoped Alfred would see it that way too.

"That's too bad," said Lucius clearing up the paperwork. "You both look good together."

"I thought so too," said Bruce softly heading out the door.

When Susana came back, she was pleased to see that Sabrina was still knocked out after the blow she gave her. Without any luck at finding a number that would put her in even an indirect contact with Bruce, she had to find another way to get his attention. Her little crime spree was done purposefully to attract the police. Number one, it would ruin Sabrina's pristine reputation. Number two, the police commissioner was a friend of Bruce's as she read in the web reports and he might mention that his girlfriend was raiding a pharmacy. Now that her plan was put into action, she hoped that Bruce would call. Tossing the loot on the couch, she rummaged through the refrigerator.

A few minutes later, Sabrina's eyes opened, dried blood matted to the side of her face. She saw her sister sitting on the couch eating, with her feet on the coffee table. She gave an inaudible sigh, hoping Susana wouldn't notice her stir. She didn't want to talk and most of all, she didn't want to hear the ranting of a crazy lunatic. Luckily, Susana was more interested in the television.

The phone rang, startling them both. "I got it," said Susana as if Sabrina was in a position to answer the phone. But first, she made sure Sabrina wouldn't interfere in the conversation.

"Hello," said Susana as Sabrina would answer it.

"Hi, Bri, it's Bruce," he said calmly although his palms sweated knowing what he had to do next. "I wanted to see you tonight. I hope you're not working."

"As a matter of fact, I came home early because I had some things to take care of," replied Susana loving the sound of his voice and grinning at her sister. "He sounds adorable," she whispered to Sabrina covering the mouthpiece.

Gagged, Sabrina could only give a menacing glare. She still worked at the ropes that tied her hands, ignoring the pain she was causing her wrists.

"So you're available?" Bruce confirmed putting on his second glove. He was almost dressed in his suit, ready to go out. Nearby, Alfred held his cape and cowl.

"I sure am," she said excitedly. "I can't wait to see you."

"How about in an hour. Up on the roof?" he suggested.

"See you then," the voice said at the other end of the phone.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Sir," said Alfred handing Bruce the rest of his costume. "I'm sure there must be a reasonable explanation," he offered. He knew Bruce was devastated and betrayed and he felt the same way. He liked the young lady, seeing Bruce truly happy for the first time in a long time. But as much as he admired Batman, Bruce needed love. To know it, and be a part of it, would help him not to be so alone in his quest to rid the city he loved of crime.

Batman said nothing, his lips tight.

"Don't wait up," was his only reply. He was completely devoid of emotion, vowing he would never get this vulnerable again. But it was hard to push the images of Sabrina to the back of his mind. In just a few days, his world began to revolve around her, elated that she knew his deepest secret. Now he knew hers. He pushed down the ache he felt inside, concentrating on the task at hand, which was the apprehension of a thief.

Taking the Batwing, he headed out, the sun just peeking over the horizon as twilight fell.

Susana waited patiently up on the roof wondering what could be keeping Bruce. Occasionally she glanced at the door becoming more impatient by the minute. Ten minutes passed the hour was ten minutes too late, she thought to herself looking at the clock on the wall.

"Sabrina," said a voice from behind her.

The figure twirled around, startled, then a smile spread across her face.

"Batman," she said with a pleased tone in her voice. "What a pleasant surprise."

Batman looked at her quizzically. "Don't play games with me Sabrina. I'm here to take you in."

"That's nice," she replied. Too bad she would miss the opportunity to meet the playboy, Susana thought taking a few steps back. "But first you have to catch me." Begin locked up taught her to make sure she always had a plan of escape.

Batman's breath caught as she ran to the edge of the roof and jumped. He ran after her hoping to save her, but she had a cable ready for her descent and saw her sliding down to the street and into a car. Quickly, he followed her, swinging through the rooftops of the city. There was no getting away from him that easily, he thought. Selena tried that, but she always got caught too.

The car sped through the streets and alleyways of Gotham, but Batman kept site of the vehicle and the woman inside. There was nowhere she could go to get away from him. He just let her think she lost him.

Finally, she stopped a few blocks of Crime Alley. Parking behind a bar, she got out, looked around, but not up, and headed inside. Before she reached the door, Batman jumped down in front of her, blocking her path. Startled, Susana stifled a scream, but fell back in surprise, looking up at the masked vigilante.

"I didn't think you'd give up that easily," she said with a smile. Then she kicked his feet out from under him, hoping to make a getaway.

Rolling, Batman landed back on his feet and gave chase. She didn't make it far.

Susana cursed as she ran into an alleyway with nowhere to go. She gave a growl, lashing and lunging at Batman. He easily blocked her kicks, knocking her to the ground. She got up throwing punches at him, but they too were ineffective.

"Give it up, Sabrina," said Batman, tiredness in his voice. He caught her, pinning her arm around her back and pushed her against a wall. "You can't escape me."

"Oh, come on Bats," Susana pleaded as she was cuffed. "I'll just escape again."

"And I'll just catch you again," he replied realizing for the first time that something was different about Sabrina. There was no look of recognition in her eyes when she saw him, just thoughts of escape. No, he had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he made a grave mistake about Sabrina.

Calling for the Batwing, he dropped Susana at the doorstep of the police station, hovering above until she was safely in the custody of the law.

As he left, he headed towards Sabrina's complex, dialing her number. Twice he tried and twice he got the busy signal.

"This is George Stratton," said the voice on the other line.

"Hi George, it's Bruce. I'm glad I caught you at work," said Bruce keeping the panic from his voice. Maybe it was Sabrina he dropped off at the police station.

"I'm glad you called," said George, concern in his voice. "I've been trying to get a hold of you all afternoon." He paused a moment then asked. "Is Sabrina with you?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he replied. His heartbeat increased, dread overcoming him. "I take it she didn't come to work today?"

"No," he answered. "She usually calls and I just found out her sister just escaped from the Metropolis Correctional Institution just a few days ago. I got a call from the Director who's a friend of mine, and they only discovered it a few hours ago."

"Her sister?" Bruce swallowed nervously. His mind was reeling. What had he done? he thought, nausea threatening to overwhelm him.

"Twin actually. Cut to the chase, Susana nearly killed Sabrina about three years ago. That's when I got her transferred here to Gotham General to kind of keep a watch over her," he continued. "I hope she's all right."

"I'm on my way to her apartment right now," he said speeding up his craft. "I'll keep you in touch."

"Thanks Bruce," said George with a sigh of relief. "That'll be one less thing for me to worry about."

Batman's heart pounded in his ears. Could he have lost the one and only person that loved him for who he was, just because he refused to listen to what his eyes and ears were telling him? He prayed nothing happened to Sabrina or Susana would know his wrath.

Entering through the bedroom, he found Brucie still unconscious. Probably a tranquilizer downed him because the dog was alive. Opening the bedroom door, he peered out into the living and kitchen area. Everything was in shambles. The dining table was cracked in the middle, the chairs strewn about, a bookcase turned over, things once in order on the counter, now scattered on the floor.

In the living room, he heard movement and dashed toward the figure partially hidden beneath a throw blanket. Yanking it aside, he found Sabrina still tied up, the chair tipped over, blood staining the side of her clothes.

"Sabrina, I'm here," he said raggedly, bending down low as he took off her gag and untied her.

"Bruce," she answered weakly, feeling the blood flowing through her arms and legs. "Susana—"

"Shh," he quieted her, binding her wounds. "I've taken care of everything."

He held her in his arms as if his embrace would breathe strength back into her. Minutes later, the EMTs arrived and Batman gently placed her on the gurney. Seeing that she was taken care of, he gathered up her dog and hurried back home.

"Bruce," she sighed as they took her away to the hospital.

"We'll make sure he gets called," said Josh, an EMT she worked with in the field on numerous occasions.

"I'm glad you found her," said George shaking Bruce's hand and ushering him to the intensive care unit. "Any later and she might not have made it."

"What happened exactly?" he asked worry written all over his face. After getting Brucie home, he changed into his street clothes and was back in town within the hour.

"She was shot through and through with a nine millimeter round and she's lost a lot of blood," George explained. Bruce's face drained of all color. "Maybe I should—"

"No, go on," said Bruce clearing his throat. Luckily the bullet passed through her side, but how long would it take her to recover, he wondered.

"She has a fractured arm, sprained ankle. She has bruises on her face, her wrists and around her body," he continued looking at her chart. "She'll need to rest, off her feet for the next few days at least, and I recommend that she be off of work for at least four to eight weeks."

Bruce nodded with understanding. "But she'll be ok?"

"She'll pull through," George replied as they reached Sabrina's room. "She's sleeping right now."

Slowly Bruce entered the room. He was afraid to see her, yet he knew he had to if only to apologize.

"She's been asking for you," said George checking the monitors and IVs before taking his leave. At the door he told Bruce, "Stay as long as you like."

Bruce sat in a chair next to the bed. There were so many things he wanted to say. He was so distrustful that he wouldn't—couldn't believe that maybe, just maybe she was everything he saw. She helped people, just like him, she wanted to do good for the city, just like him.

"It's been so long since I've had feelings like this that I didn't even recognize how much you meant to me until I almost lost you," Bruce began, his voice hoarse with guilt. He sat next to her holding her hand to his cheek. "I want you to be a part of my life."

"I'm sorry," she said groggily, her eyes still closed. Sabrina was very tired and sore, but was glad to hear Bruce's voice and feel the touch of his hand.

"Sabrina, did you hear what I said?" he asked giving her a sip of water.

She nodded, her eyes finally opening. Bruce looked tired and worried. She wanted to send him home, to get some rest, but she also wanted him to be near. "I'm sorry about Susana," she repeated leaning back in bed. The water tasted wonderful to her parched lips.

"We never had time to talk," Bruce shushed her. "But I should apologize to you."

Sabrina began to shake her head, but he continued. "Everything told me that it couldn't have possibly been you committing those robberies. Even when I saw the photos, there was something different about them, because it was Susana. She looked too callous and cocky. Then, when I saw her on the roof, she didn't know who I was.

"You've always called me Bruce, no matter what I was wearing. But I chose to ignore that too."

"And why is that?" she questioned. The intimacy was difficult being in a hospital room with staff just outside the door, but the timing couldn't have been more perfect. She wasn't going to be paged anytime soon, and Bruce didn't have to go anywhere for several hours at least.

"I was afraid that our relationship was like the ones that I've had before," he admitted looking into her eyes, his voice soft and trembling. "I was afraid you'd be like the others, on the other side of the law." He paused for a moment. "How can you ever forgive me for thinking that?"

"Very easily," Sabrina replied pulling him to sit next to her. She cupped his face in her hands. "I have always felt something for you from afar, and I was thrilled that you noticed me and was interested enough to ask me out. Now that I have you in the flesh, I'm not going to let you go that easily."

Bruce pulled her to him and although she was in pain, Sabrina held him. He breathed in the scent of her, kissed the side of her face, and stroked her hair. He wanted to tell her he loved her with every fiber of his being, but he was still afraid. If he loved her this much and told her, he felt he would lose her. Just like he lost his parents.

"How's Brucie?" she asked still holding him close. "Is he—?"

"He's fine," reported Bruce nuzzling her neck.

"Who's taking care of him?"

"Alfred," he said into her ear.

"Alfred, but—"

"Don't worry, just rest," insisted Bruce pulling back to look into her eyes.

"You'd better go home and get some rest yourself," said Sabrina running her fingers through his hair. "Don't you work tonight?"

"I should be with you," Bruce replied closing his eyes and focusing on her touch.

"I want you to be with me, but there's nothing you can do," she said practically, giving him a brave face. "But out there, you make a difference."

Sabrina was right. That was why he was out there in the first place. To make a difference.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Probably in the afternoon." he said giving her a lingering kiss.

Sabrina nodded and closed her eyes. She was so tired, but tried not to show Bruce. As much as she was physically injured, it must have hurt him more to know he had been wrong about her. She was glad for his attention. She hoped that whatever she could offer him would be enough.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"Good morning, Sir," said Alfred as Bruce came back from his night patrol.

"Morning, Alfred," he said with a nod as he peeled his costume off.

"I trust the night was quiet?" his valet asked as he picked up his discarded items from behind him. Bruce had a determined look on his face, the same one when he met Sabrina. He could tell that Bruce really cared for her and it was a blow to his mind that she was everything he could have ever wanted in a woman but could never have. Maybe, this time it was different, he hoped.

"Yes," he replied. He had quickly changed into his street clothes mentally listing the things he needed to do that morning. "I'll be at Sabrina's apartment for the rest of the morning." He had grabbed a piece of toast on his way up the stairs and again was headed out the door.

Arriving at Sabrina's place, he surveyed the damage. The living room was a disaster, the glass in the coffee table shattered, the chair and the blanket still on the floor. Things were scattered about, the painting that hung on the wall had fallen on the floor, one with a cracked glass. At least her dog was safe at the manor, enjoying the freedom of the yard. As of yet, he couldn't call him by name and Alfred was in charge of him. Bruce gave a slight smile. Alfred was not pleased with his latest task. At least it seemed that way.

Bruce took a deep breath as he realized how close he came to losing Sabrina. He closed his eyes remembering the heartache he felt imagining his life without her. And when he realized Susana had hurt her, he wanted to make sure she wouldn't get away with her crime. The gun, he found in Susana's car and knew Jim would have her locked away for a long time.

A knock on the door broke him from his thoughts. He had called the movers on his way over, and a cleaning company. The first group would pack up any unbroken pieces for furniture and bring it to the address he had given them. The second group would clear all the broken pieces and clean the apartment.

After giving them instructions, Bruce spoke with the landlady. He paid off the rest of Sabrina's lease agreement and told the manager to bill him for the damage that needed to be repaired.

The woman looked at Bruce up and down. She was a full head shorter than Sabrina with salt and pepper hair, and of Oriental decent.

"You tell Sabrina we're going to miss her," Mrs. Ling said with a nod. She had seen pictures of the two of them in the news and she wasn't sure if she believed what they wrote about him. She saw the concern in his blue eyes, bloodshot from worry. She could see that Bruce loved Sabrina and that was a good thing.

Bruce nodded. The police reported that none of the neighbors heard anything the morning before because most of them were at work. Sabrina herself was on her way to work that morning. "I promise I'll take good care of her," he said as he left.

The clock in his car read one-thirty. Grabbing a quick bite, he headed home to get some papers for work, and then he would see Sabrina. The thought of seeing her calmed him and knew she'd be all right with that. He wished he could have gone to her sooner, but he had a lot of things to take care of.

"Hello?" Sabrina said on the other end of the phone.

"Bri, it's me—"

"Bruce, I'm glad to hear your voice," said Sabrina sounding much stronger. She had slept comfortably through the night and most of the morning. She was anxious to see Bruce, but she knew he would come in due time. She had to dispel her fears that she would never see him again. Of course she would see him, she kept telling herself. She just had to be patient. He was a busy man and he had to fit her in his life. At least he was trying.

"I've got some errands to do but I should be by in about an hour," he explained.

"Take your time." She tried to keep her voice light, but she still was disappointed he couldn't come sooner. "I'm well taken care of."

"You will be," he said more to himself that to her. "See you soon."

It was late in the afternoon when Bruce finally arrived at the hospital. George was there talking to Sabrina and although she was injured and lying in a hospital bed, she couldn't have looked more beautiful. With her hair spread across her pillows and shoulders, she summoned the strength to give him a smile. But she could not hide the weariness from her eyes.

"Hi," said Bruce presenting her with a bouquet of roses. As he looked around the room, however, he saw plants instead. "I guess I should have brought a plant," he said miserably.

"And how would you have known that?" she asked pointing to a vase on the nightstand. "We've only had two dates and both times I've had to run out on you."

George got some water for the flowers and put the arrangement on her bedside table. Bruce's gift stood out and he was glad for the little mistake.

"Sabrina can be discharged tomorrow," announced George speaking to them both. "She's making an excellent recovery. But being here in the hospital will only distract her. It'll be better if she can rest at home and not think about work."

"And when can go back to work?" Sabrina asked hopefully.

Bruce frowned at the thought. He didn't want her to work. He would take care of her.

"Not for the next two weeks at least," George advised. "After that, just to get you moving, some half days. Maybe."

"That'll work for me," Sabrina agreed sounding more chipper than she felt. She couldn't imagine how Bruce got around with his injuries, acting as if he wasn't in pain.

"I think you should rest at home for a few weeks," interjected Bruce.

"Well, I made my recommendations," said George with a smile. "I'll leave you both to work out the details."

"Bruce," insisted Sabrina.

"Sabrina," he said adamantly.

"You're the one always running around practically twenty-four hours a day without hardly any sleep and injured on top of that," she reminded him.

"You're not me," Bruce protested folding his arms, his voice deepening.

"It doesn't matter," she decided with a sigh not wanting to argue with him. "I have to get the apartment straightened out anyway."

"I've taken care of that," said Bruce softening. "I've called in a cleaning crew this morning."

Sabrina just shook her head. She wasn't looking forward to going back home, but she wasn't sure where she would move to. She didn't dare ask Bruce if she could stay with him. It was still unimaginable.

Bruce watched as she closed her eyes. He sensed that she wasn't looking forward to going home. "Bri, it'll be all right," he said kissing her hand.

"With you beside me, I know it will be," she said squeezing his hand.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow," said Bruce getting ready to leave. He had to get back to work. "But I'll be back tonight. Lucius just needs my John Hancock."

Sabrina smiled. "Great, we'll have dinner."

"That would be great," he agreed. "At least I know you won't be called away."

"And you?" she wondered.

"We have some time before work," he replied.

"Ok, then see you for dinner," she said, the warmth touching her eyes. Sabrina loved being with Bruce and she still wondered at the fact that he wanted to be with her.

With a nod of acknowledgement, he kissed her good bye.

Bruce was lost in thought as he went about his tasks. The moving company delivered the remains of Sabrina's things to the manor and he had them placed in an unused room. That would be her room if she didn't want to stay with him.

He sighed. How was he going to ask her to live with him? Granted, he had an enormous house, but it was a step in their relationship that he wasn't sure they were ready to take.

No matter, she'd stay there for now until she decided to find a place of her own. He hoped she'd stay with him.

When Bruce returned to the hospital, Sabrina was dressed in one of her robes that Alfred brought over earlier. If anyone knew what clothes to bring, it would be Alfred.

"Thank you, Alfred," said Sabrina giving him a hug when he stopped by. He had packed her some going home clothes. "I hope you didn't have trouble finding my things." He even brought her underwear.

"Not at all, Miss Sabrina," he replied. "But I must be going."

"Won't you join Bruce and I for dinner?" she asked gratefully. She wasn't sure if she should be embarrassed about him seeing her unmentionables, but she was sure he did Bruce's laundry too, so this was nothing new to him.

"Thank you, but no," he answered. "I have some things to take care of at the manor." He remembered that Bruce had not yet explained the living arrangements to the young lady, and he'd rather Bruce handle the matter.

"I hope Brucie's not giving you a problem," said Sabrina before he took off.

"He's no problem," Alfred replied with a smile. "As a matter of fact, he seems easier to manage than another Brucie we know."

Sabrina laughed at the thought, one that kept her smiling until Bruce came.

"You look great," said Bruce kissing her on the cheek. "And why are you wearing a grin on your face?"

"Oh, Alfred made a funny, that's all," was all she would say.

Bruce just shook his head and escorted Sabrina to the cafeteria. He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear it.

Although it was noisy as cafeterias are, they had an enjoyable time. Bruce was reluctant to go, but there was nothing more to do there except keep Sabrina company.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said holding her close. She was tucked in bed, ready to sleep.

She nodded, holding him tight. This was where she wanted him all the time, his arms protectively wrapped around her. But she let him go, knowing he would be back in the morning.

He was happy. His parents were with him. The Mask of Zorro was playing in the theater. He loved Zorro. The smell of popcorn filled the air. After the movie ended, they headed home. But he knew his parents would never make it home. He heard the shots clearly as if was just happening. Bruce jerked in bed even though it was just a dream. His parents fell to the ground. They were gone. He would never know happiness again.

Bruce's body still trembled, his head buried beneath his pillow. He could still see his parents, so still on the ground, before fading away.

Then his mind would go blank. No longer being able to sleep, he got ready for the night, shaking his head from dreary thoughts. A smile touched his lips at the thought of Sabrina's words. Yes, he was getting ready for his other job. Yes, he would always be there for the city he loved. But where did Sabrina fit in? he still wondered. She had to fit in, somehow.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Ready to go?" Bruce asked grabbing Sabrina's bag that Alfred had brought.

Sabrina took one last look around the room and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be," she replied. An orderly pushed her through the halls and out the double doors of the hospital to the waiting car.

Bruce drove his 550 Maranello Ferrari to pick her up. What he like about it besides its sleek design was its simple style and despite it being a two-seater, he wanted Sabrina to be surrounded like a cocoon, but not cramped. It was about an hour drive back to the mansion and he didn't want her uncomfortable longer than she had to. Hopefully Sabrina wouldn't think he was just showing off his wealth and was certain she wouldn't notice the classic car.

Helping her with the crutch she had on her lap and out of the wheelchair, Sabrina smiled as she settled in. Her seat was comfy. She felt safe.

"Thanks for everything," she said turning to him and reached out to caress his cheek.

Bruce just nodded, strapped her in and drove off. Silence filled the cabin as they headed out of the city.

Fifteen minutes, thought Sabrina. She would close her eyes to rest and then they'd be at her apartment.

Turning to look at her, Bruce saw her close her eyes. George was right in discharging her. He could tell that she wanted to get back in the fray of things, but her body was unwilling to cooperate for the moment. She needed rest, and he would make sure she would get it. And Alfred would be more than happy to help.

Sabrina remembered leaving the hospital garage. For a moment she thought she was back in her apartment, furniture strewn across the floor, paintings and books skewed from their position. Tenants were being sent to the hospital, some were taken care of at the apartment and told not to leave their place for at least twenty-four hours. Her mind clouded again and when she opened her eyes, Sabrina noticed the two-lane road and the houses intermingled amongst the trees. Clearly they weren't in the city anymore. "This isn't the way back to my apartment," she said her voice sounding hoarse. She wondered how long she had been asleep.

"I know," Bruce answered keeping his eyes on the road. "I'm not taking you there."

"Bruce," she said narrowing her eyes at him. "What are you up to?"

"You'll see," he answered a smile touching his lips, and said nothing more. Thankfully, neither did Sabrina.

A few minutes later they reached their destination, gates opening onto a long driveway leading up to an expansive house. She saw Brucie run up to her. Getting out of the car and grinning from ear to ear, she gave her big old dog a great big hug. But then he took off again, happy to be running.

Bruce came to her side and handed her a crutch. "Thanks for taking care of him," she said looking up into blue eyes.

"He actually loves it here," he said wondering how to ask her—to tell her what he wanted.

"Spit it out, Bruce," said Sabrina seeing the wheels spinning in his mind.

"I want you to stay with me," he finally blurted.

"Where?" she looked at him not fully understanding what he was asking.

Bruce's brow knotted in confusion. "Here, at Wayne Manor."

"Obviously," she said breaking out into a smile. Sometimes he was slow-witted. "Is this where you brought my things?"

Bruce nodded. "But I want you to stay with me," he said quietly. "In my room." He felt like a school boy asking a girl to dance for the first time, suddenly shy, waiting breathlessly for Sabrina to answer.

"Do I have a choice?" she asked looking at the manor then at Bruce. Her heart pounded as she waited for his answer.

Bruce was going to say yes, but decided against it. "No," he finally answered.

"Well, then I'm here to stay," she said with a shrug and headed towards the house. She was glad she was leaning on her crutch or she might have fainted.

Sabrina didn't get very far. Bruce, with a grin on his face, scooped her up and carried her all the way into the house, leaving the crutch to fall to the ground.

Wayne Manor located on the outskirts of Gotham City, was larger than the Vreeland mansion. Bruce gave her a short tour, knowing she would be too tired to see everything at once. He was eager to share everything with her, but he had to take it slow. They would have time. He took a deep, long breath as they walked down the hallway. They would have all the time in the world.

"I've had your furniture set in here," he said showing her the room. It was almost the size of her apartment. "Just make yourself at home."

They headed down the hall. "And this is your bedroom," Bruce said opening another door. It was his room and he wanted to make sure she understood what he was really asking.

"Are you sure?" she questioned him as she went inside taking a look around. A few abstract paintings decorated the room, a giant bed and nightstands on either side and windows lined one wall. There were two doors in the room, one to the bathroom and other to the closet.

"Yes," he breathed, taking her in his arms. He shut the door behind him, knowing Alfred wouldn't bother them until lunch was ready.

"This is going to take a bit of getting used to," said Sabrina as Alfred served them their lunch. It consisted of a salad and sandwich and a side of soup. She didn't realize how famished she was.

"It's a pleasure to have you here, Miss Sabrina," said Alfred gladly. He was happy because Bruce looked happy and that was all that mattered.

"Just make yourself comfortable, Bri," said Bruce reaching over to squeeze her hand. "I want you here." He wasn't sure how to say the words. He was still afraid he might lose her. But he would do everything in his power to prevent that and to protect her, so he wasn't sure what was stopping him from saying more to her.

"Well, I think you're right," began Sabrina. She finished her meal and sat back, very satisfied, and very tired. "I'm not going back to work for a few days, at least."

Bruce gave her a pleased smile.

"I think I'm going to sort out my things," she announced.

"You should be resting," Bruce pressed.

"I should've said the same thing to you that night of the earthquake," Sabrina countered glad they could talk freely in his home.

"Are you going to be stubborn?" he asked wondering what he could say to change her mind.

"Just as stubborn as you are," she persisted crossing her arms across her chest.

Bruce conceded by saying nothing else. For now. Behind him, he could hear Alfred chuckled as he headed back to the kitchen.

"My car?" Sabrina said suddenly. "Were you able to—?"

"Yes. It's in the parking garage," said Bruce. "But if you go to work, Alfred will drive you in the morning and I'll pick you up around lunch time."

"Is that your plan?" asked Sabrina.

"That is the only plan," said Bruce firmly.

Sabrina couldn't help but smile. Bruce was not at all what they wrote about him in the tabloids. She knew he cared about her in his own gruff way and he certainly knew how to show it. He wanted her here, in his family home, to share his bed, so he knew she would be protected. His actions spoke volumes. She loved him, she knew—had known, the first time she met him as the Dark Knight. She would wait as long as she had to until he was ready to say it too.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A fire was crackling in the great room, the lights turned down low. A silk blanket draped over Bruce as he held Sabrina close to him in front of the fireplace. Another silk blanket was wrapped around her as she snuggled close to him. They had nothing underneath but spent passions, the evening not yet over. Every now and then Bruce would caress her, giving her feather-light kisses, never tiring of looking at her, of being with her.

During the weeks that passed, Sabrina had told Bruce about her past. Her parents died when she and her sister were sixteen, and both were shuffled into separate foster homes. While she strove to make her foster parents proud, knowing her parents would also be proud of her, Susana felt bitter and betrayed that their parents died and left them. And splitting her from her sister seemed to have pushed Susana over the edge.

Sabrina did try to see her as often as she could, but Susana seemed resentful that she was so happy with her life. And she was happy to be with him how, and honored that he chose her to share his life. She felt lucky that she even caught his eye.

"No, I'm the lucky one," Bruce said his voice soft, kissing her before she could protest. "You made it so easy to be a part of my life that I just couldn't ignore the fact that I'm happy, really happy with who I am, with who I've become." He sighed. "I'm afraid all of this will end, and I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me," Sabrina smiled confidently. "But when will I be lucky enough to see the cave below Wayne Manor?" she asked, looking at him intently as the firelight flickered in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" he wondered innocently turning his head down as if to look at something. He had hoped she wouldn't be a part of that world.

"Aren't you going to start training me?" she continued lifting his chin so he would meet her eyes. "You don't expect me to just sit back and let you go out risking your life so I could be safe, do you?"

Bruce got up letting the blanket fall away. On a nearby chair, he reached for his robe. He walked over to a window, looking out over the estate, the grounds bathed in moonlight. "I don't want you out there," he said with a ragged breath. "I don't want you to train. You'll be safer with Alfred."

"Bruce," Sabrina sighed, trying to reason with him. "When Susana attacked me, all I thought about was that if I had your training, I wouldn't have been tied up to that chair or at least I could have had a better chance of getting out.

"Now that everyone knows I'm your girlfriend, I could be a target anyway because you're Bruce Wayne." She shook her head. "I just want a fighting chance for us so we can survive as a couple. You've invited me into your home, your life, then you've got to share everything with me Bruce. The good and the bad."

With the blanket tightly wrapped around her, Sabrina walked over to him, standing to one side. He hadn't moved, his arms folded across his chest, only listening to her words.

"I love you Bruce," she said softly putting her hand on his arm. "Let me be by your side, day or night." She leaned up to kiss him on the cheek, then turned to leave. She knew he would have to go out soon, and she was tired anyway. In the morning, just before the sun rose, if the night was quiet, he would come to bed.

He was happy. His parents were with him. The Mask of Zorro was playing in the theater. He loved Zorro. The smell of popcorn filled the air. After the movie, they headed home. But he knew his parents would never make it home. He heard the shots clearly as if was just happening. Bruce jerked in bed even though it was just a dream. His parents fell to the ground. They were gone. He would never know happiness again.

Bruce's body still trembled, his head buried beneath his pillow. He could still see his parents, so still on the ground, before fading away.

Then is parents appeared before him. Bruce was dressed in his blue/black costume but no mask. They were in the living room at the manor, and there was a party. Everyone was there. Alfred, Jim, Barbara, Lucius, Veronica, and Leslie. Dick and Tim were also there, mingling. Every one of Bruce's friends was there. Including his parents. He was standing next to them; his father patted him on the shoulder.

"Everything is going to be all right, Bruce," he heard his father say. "Everything is going to be all right."

His mother gave him a smile and his father kissed his mother's hand. He could see—feel the love they shared encompass him—the whole room. And Bruce felt her smile on him.

It was Sabrina's smile. She was there standing next to his mother and father, smiling at him. "Everything is going to be all right," she said to him, her smile shining in her eyes.

Bruce woke up with a start, his breathing heavy. Sitting up in bed, he looked for Sabrina, but she had already gone to work. She was usually gone by the time he got out of bed. Calling Lucius, he said he wouldn't be in to work that day. "I have some things to take care of."

"Ok, Bruce," Lucius replied wondering what he was up to today. If he wasn't at work, he knew he was busy doing something else. He just never knew what. "I'll see you later."

Sabrina was in the kitchen with Alfred sipping on a cup of coffee to get her started for the day. "I called work and told them I'd be running a little late today," she said with a yawn. The four weeks of part-time days were almost up and she'd be going back to her full-time schedule.

"Did Master Bruce wake you up this morning?" Alfred asked setting breakfast on the table. It consisted of her favorite; pancakes, eggs and a slice of fruit. He was pleased she had a hearty appetite in the morning and always ate what he served.

"Yes, but not when he came in," she began. "Later, when he had his dream again."

"Dream?" he wondered.

"He has it about once a week or so," Sabrina continued. "It bothers him and he buries his head under his pillow. The first time I didn't do anything and I noticed he was restless for the whole day, not really concentrating.

"After that, I try to tell him everything was going to be all right. He calmed down and I noticed he seemed more focused like he normally is."

"I've heard that if you talk to someone when they're asleep, they can hear you," said Alfred.

"Yes, I really believe they can," replied Sabrina. "I tell my patient's families that and there seems to be a remarkable difference when the patient wakes up."

"Are you ready to go?"

Sabrina nodded taking her last sip of coffee. Putting her empty plate in the sink, she and Alfred headed to the garage.

Bruce stood in the hallway waiting for them to leave. He had gotten up thinking he was alone in the house when he heard their voices. He heard everything and his decision not to go to work was a good one.

Sabrina was in Denise's office filling out paperwork, while waiting for Bruce. Their routine had not yet changed, and she needed to remind Bruce she was returning to full duty on Monday.

"So what are you planning for the weekend?" asked Denise with a smile. She was curious about their relationship as did everyone else in Gotham, but Sabrina was busy with work and hardly had time to chat. Either that or she was trying to avoid them so she wouldn't be grilled.

"I don't know," Sabrina replied with a shrug. "Bruce is usually working and we see each other for dinner."

"Even on Sunday?" scoffed Denise. When Sabrina nodded her head, she added, "For being a disreputable playboy, he sounds kind of boring."

Sabrina nodded with a smile. "All those rumors aren't true. He's always in bed at a decent hour and if he's not at home or representing Wayne Enterprises at a party, he's at work."

"You've been pictured with him in the news," commented Denise watching her friend closely. "Tracy and Becca are speculating when you two are getting married."

"So that's what you really want to know," said Sabrina nodding her head with understanding.

"Well, you moved into his home…" implied Denise.

"He's overprotective of me," answered Sabrina.

"Bri, he only knew you for two, maybe three days tops," she chided.

"Haven't you ever heard of love at first sight?" she explained. "Besides, he hasn't asked and I don't know if I'd say yes at this point."

"Why not?" Denise wondered incredulously. "He's rich and handsome—"

"Stubborn, arrogant," interrupted Sabrina. "Oh, and did I mention he's overprotective?"

For the second time that day, Bruce stood behind a door listening to Sabrina's conversations. He smiled at the picture she painted for her friend, wondering if she would believe what Sabrina told her. It didn't really matter. She knew the real man and that was all he cared about.

Denise chuckled, and as she sorted some papers on her desk, Bruce walked in. "Guess who's here?"

"Hi Bruce," said Sabrina standing up to give him a kiss. He had a grin on his face, playing the unwitting fool in public as the playboy billionaire.

"Hi Bri, hi Denise," said Bruce. To Sabrina he asked, "Ready to go?"

She nodded grabbing her things.

"Have a great weekend," said Denise with a grin as they left.

"You too," said Sabrina holding on to Bruce's arm.

"So how was work?" Sabrina asked as Bruce helped her in the car. Just about lunchtime, she wondered where he would take them to eat today.

"I didn't go," he replied keeping his eyes on the road.

"Oh. Are you working on a case?"

Bruce shook his head and said nothing more.

In the past four weeks, Sabrina learned that if Bruce didn't want to talk, there was no prying anything out of him. So she kept quiet. Looking out at the passing scenery, she realized Bruce was headed towards the ocean. Many nice restaurants lined the beachfront and she wondered which one he would choose.

Finally, Bruce spoke. "You know I was married once, but briefly," he began. "A few hours tops."

"How could I forget," grimaced Sabrina. "It was about two maybe three years ago and it broke my heart. But it was all over the news that it was just a plot by Poison Ivy to accumulate wealth and all the marriages were annulled."

He reached over and squeezed her hand. "And I thought I've been in love before, with Selena Kyle," Bruce continued.

"Who tends to walk on the other side of the law, in which you, being a model citizen, clashes with," she commented.

He had parked in the parking lot of the Boardwalk, a pier of restaurants and retail shops, and sat in the car for a few more minutes. His gaze overlooked the shops, looking peaceful and serene for a Friday. She was so perfect for him that he was afraid. But he didn't want to lose her. He almost felt what that was like and he didn't like the feeling of loneliness, the feeling of emptiness. Sabrina made him happy. And he liked how it changed his perspective on everything. It had been such a long time since he knew what being with another person was like.

"What I'm trying to say, Bri, is that I love you, and you make it worth going out at night, to make sure the city is safe for you and people like you," he finished turning to look at her.

Sabrina smiled. "I love you, Bruce," she replied leaning over to kiss him. Her heart warmed and she tingled inside, knowing he said exactly what she had been feeling for some time now. Even if he hadn't said anything, she was delighted to be with him. He made her happy more than he could ever know.

They enjoyed a quiet lunch overlooking the ocean, and with the weekend coming up, Sabrina wondered what kind of plans he had made. Bruce really wasn't that busy as she had lead Denise to believe, and they spent most of their weekends touring the countryside for the day, ensuring they would be back home before dark.

"So the big question Denise wanted to know," said Sabrina sitting back in her chair to let her food settle. "Is what are we doing this weekend?"

"How about some training?" Bruce suggested leaning forward so only she could hear.

Sabrina looked at him suspiciously.

"You were right," he nodded his head. "If you're going to be seen with me, you need to know how to protect yourself. If I hire any bodyguards, we lose what little privacy we have.

"And I want you all to myself as much as possible," he said smiling at her.

Sabrina still looked at him skeptically. "Are you serious?"

"Very serious," he said reaching for her hand. "Training starts tomorrow, nine am."

Sabrina grinned, her eyes shining with happiness. "Ok."

"And while you're planning that fundraiser for the Wayne Charity Foundation next month, why don't you plan for another get-together with our friends," Bruce suggested reaching into his pocket.

"Ok," said Sabrina pulling out her electronic planner. "What's the theme and when is it?"

"The theme centers on this." He presented her a velvet box and opened it for her to see inside.

Sabrina gasped at the significance of his gift. "Oh my God, Bruce," she said softly. It was a solitaire diamond set close to the band with another smaller diamond set on an interlocking band.

Bruce moved to sit on a chair next to her. "Marry me," he stated.

She put his arms around his shoulders and nuzzled his neck. "Are you sure?"

"My mother and father gave me their blessing," he whispered into her ear, tears stinging his eyes.

"Yes," she answered and gave him a kiss. Then she pulled back. "But is it all right if we have a small wedding?" she asked hesitantly as he slipped on the ring.

Bruce smiled at her. "Perfect."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Monday came too soon for Bruce, but when Sabrina got ready for work, he had his speech prepared as to why she shouldn't work anymore. Being his wife would keep her busy, partly to keep the façade of being Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Wayne, but if she wanted to be by his side, she would have to train for more than just one weekend, and he would train her hard. She already received a taste of his methods the past weekend, and he wouldn't go easy on her.

Sabrina was uncomplaining from the moment they started until the time they finished. He started with basic things such as resistance training for endurance and increased strength. On Sunday, he added a cardio workout, including some gymnastics. It was just the tip of the iceberg. They had a lot to do, and she couldn't do all of it and hold down a demanding job.

As Sabrina stepped out of the bathroom, she smiled at him seeing that he was up, despite the fact that she felt sore all over. Her arms and shoulders hurt, her hamstrings and calves, and her butt hurt just to sit down. She was surprised that her hair didn't hurt. But she wasn't going to complain. She knew that the more she practiced her maneuvers with Bruce, she'd increase her strength and stamina. She just hoped she didn't pass out first.

"I'm glad you're awake," she said gently easing herself on his side of the bed. She tried not to grimace but she couldn't help it. "I wanted to talk to you."

"I want to talk to you too," spoke Bruce with a yawn. It was important that he let her know his thoughts. "But you first." He noticed her slow movements, and wished he could ease her aches. But pain came with the territory.

"I'm going to George this morning to let him know I'm quitting," she began looking into his eyes. She would never get tired of looking into his eyes. "At least I'll ask to be on-call."

"What?" Bruce was incredulous. He felt as if she had read his mind.

"Well, I was thinking. If I'm going to be Mrs. Bruce Wayne, I should take an active role in being your wife and planning those parties and all. You already have got me planning two," she grinned. "But I also know I'm going to need more training to stand a chance at being by your side.

"If I'm on-call," Sabrina added, "I can still help at the hospital occasionally, but I won't have to devote my time there. I can devote my time here…to you," Sabrina finished and waited for Bruce to answer.

But there was nothing really to say. Bruce for the moment was speechless. She had said exactly everything he wanted to say.

"Bruce?" She was still waiting for him to reply.

"Ok," he breathed as if he had been holding his breath. Then he pulled her to him and held her tightly, gently pressing kisses on her neck. She was perfect. Too perfect. She was what he needed in his life, which was already complicated in the first place. She made it so simple. So much so that now, he was comfortable as Bruce Wayne for the first time in his life, and felt he hadn't lost himself in the Dark Knight.

Sabrina took a deep breath. During the week she was planning the party, which was a week away and their wedding, which was scheduled in four months. In the early evening, she was with Bruce, training, practicing drills, doing exactly what he told her. She could feel herself getting stronger and felt she could work with him just like she wanted. What he wanted as the result of her training, she still wasn't sure.

But today, she was tired. Bruce had her up the past seventy-two hours with just a catnap here and there, listening, watching and waiting and waiting. She didn't complain because she knew this was what he went through every once in a while.

In another section of the cave, Bruce had simulated the rooftops of Gotham. She was on a rooftop watching a suspect's room. Sabrina received her case file, reviewed it, and now, three days later, she was there. Listening, watching, waiting.

Bruce took a deep breath. He had gone through the simulation many times with his charges and none of them had shown the patience Sabrina had. She was strong-willed and stubborn, but she had to be if she wanted to be with him. If she faltered now, he couldn't see how he could take her with him into the night.

She was dressed all in black with a hood. He was dressed in costume. He was at the computer console, watching her on the monitors. Only twenty more minutes more to wait before something happened. Quietly he joined her, standing by her side.

Sabrina was crouched down, still watching the building below.

"Anything?" he asked knowing the answer.

Sabrina shook her head and was quiet for a moment. She was tired, she could barely keep her eyes open and she just wanted to crawl into a nice warm bed. Then she stood up, stretching her legs.

Bruce looked down at her quizzically as she reached with her left hand and cupped his cowled face. She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes. When he had gone up to the manor, Alfred tried to persuade him to stop the simulation. Bruce refused.

"Thank you for being Batman," she said tenderly and kissed him on the corner of his lips. Then she turned and crouched back down.

Sabrina hated that this was something he went through, probably alone most of the time and she was amazed that he still did this kind of surveillance. It was painstaking and she only wished she could make it easier for him. Instead, she could only understand want he went through.

She was incredible, Bruce thought as he looked down at her. She made a simple statement, still without complaint of the endless hours of training, making him question his methods. Did he really need to put her through all this before he took her out with him? What exactly was he preparing her for? She already proved a worthy advocate and was more than ready to stand by his side.

Suddenly, Bruce pulled her up by the elbow and scooped her in his arms. Without a word, he carried her up to their room, passing a surprised Alfred, and laid her on the bed. He took off her clothes except her unmentionables and tucked her in bed. Undressing, he slipped in beside her.

"Bruce, the simulation—"

He kissed her soundly squelching her words. "Go to sleep," was his only reply and held her close. Her head lay on his shoulder, her hand on his chest.

Bruce watched as she instantly fell asleep. Sabrina just needed to learn how to defend and protect herself. He thought he was teaching her how to survive. Instead he was teaching her how to become him. She didn't need to become him, as she innocently pointed out. He kissed her on the forehead. It was late in the night and they could get some sleep before the sun rose.

Sabrina woke up refreshed. She stretched and gave a yawn, kicking the bed sheets off. The digital clock on the side table read four-thirty. It was afternoon and she was hungry. Putting on her pajamas and a robe, she headed for the kitchen.

"Hungry, Miss Sabrina?" Alfred asked setting a plate down in front of her. It was a simple dish of chicken and vegetables on the side and a slice of apple pie for dessert.

"Famished," she replied as she ate every morsel.

Satiated with her meal, Sabrina leaned back in her chair and sipped her tea. "That was wonderful, Alfred," she said with a satisfied smile.

"Well, it's no wonder since Master Bruce hasn't fed you a decent meal in three days," he sounded reproachful.

"That all?" she quipped.

"Three days is a long time with little rest and little food," he replied taking her plate.

"I bet Bruce goes through without longer sometimes," she said getting up.

"Sometimes," Alfred agreed. He marveled at her empathy towards Bruce.

"Is he home from work yet?"

Alfred nodded. "He's downstairs."

"Thank you," she said again. Running upstairs to get a pair of house slippers, she headed down to the cave to find Bruce.

Sabrina found him working at the computer with Brucie taking a nap by his side. Quietly she waited for him to finish what he was doing as she reached his side.

Bruce knew the minute Sabrina walked into the room. He could hear her footsteps and from that moment, he lost his concentration. When he woke that morning, he starred at Sabrina for a long time. He traced the curve of her face, touched her silky black hair that fanned the pillow next to him. He couldn't believe that she would be his forever, yet there she was at that moment in his arms. He hated to leave her, but he was done with sleep and he had work to do. He always had work to do.

As Sabrina got closer, Bruce returned to what he was doing. He knew she would let him finish before she said anything.

"Did you sleep well?" he finally said looking at her out of the corner of his eyes. She was dressed in her lavender spaghetti strap pajama top with matching shorts and robe. The robe was tied loosely around her waist and he could see the curvature of her breasts.

"Yes," she said. "I didn't think I'd sleep—"

Before she could finish her sentence, Bruce pulled her onto his lap and kissed her, pulling his arms tight around her. He drank from her lips and his hand made their way under her robe and top.

Slowly, he pulled back, letting them catch their breath.

"I missed you," he breathed, holding her close.

With her chin on his shoulder, Sabrina wrapped her arms around him feeling the breath of his shoulders and muscular back.

"Are you ever going to let me finish my sentence without interrupting me with a kiss?" she wondered.

"No," he replied.

"When are we going to complete my training?" she asked kissing his ear.

"Done," Bruce replied pulling back to look at her.

Sabrina frowned questioningly.

"This week, I want you to concentrate on the party. The decorators and the caterers will be here beginning Thursday," he informed her. "So play the hostess."

"You sure?"

Bruce nodded. "Positive."

And Sabrina was grateful for the break. Even with Alfred's help, the manor became confusion and chaos as they readied for the charity benefit.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Bruce was amazed at the way Sabrina took charge, but was glad he could just step back and let her handle things. The life he knew didn't change except now, he looked forward to the event knowing Sabrina would be there with him. He sighed. Despite the long days and nights his father would be at the hospital, his mother never complained. He remembered vaguely that when she talked about him being at work, she spoke with love and understanding. They seemed to be in a perfect relationship. A relationship that he never thought he'd have. He felt panic begin to rise in him at the thought of Sabrina leaving him because of his nightly activities. But she never complained, not once when he disturbed her after coming in an hour before she was about to wake up. She never complained when he wouldn't talk to her about what he saw out there in the streets. She held him, comforted him, said nothing.

"What are you looking at?" Sabrina broke through his thoughts as she got dressed for the party. The guests would be arriving soon and she needed to hurry. She helped Bruce get ready earlier, jokingly saying she could call Alfred if he wanted. Bruce frowned at the idea and was now sitting in a chair, waiting for her.

"You look radiant," he said coming over to kiss her, smearing some of her lipstick. "You don't need to add anything else." He stood with her in front of the mirror, looking at them both. We look good together, he thought for a moment.

"Just one more thing," she said and slipped on her engagement ring.

Bruce smiled proudly. "Ready?"

Sabrina nodded and took his outstretched arm.

"I'm glad you guys could make it," said Sabrina to Denise, her husband Brad, Becca and her husband Robert, and Tracie and her boyfriend Luke. The men folk excused themselves and were at the bar looking at a large-scale train collection and Sabrina had a chance to talk with her friends.

"Thank you for the invite," said Tracie with a plate of food in her hand.

"So how've you been?" asked Denise with a smile. "Playing the wife?"

"Playing," Sabrina agreed with a smile catching Bruce's eye. He gave her a smile as he looked her way.

"He really loves you," said Becca taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh, and why do you say that?" Sabrina wondered.

"When he looks at you, you can see the love radiating from him, his eyes," her friend replied raising her eyebrows for emphasis.

Sabrina turned to look at Bruce, and again, he turned to meet her gaze with a smile.

"See," said Becca smiling as if her point had been proven.

"And I see that someone's engaged," exclaimed Denise holding up Sabrina's hand.

She had tried not to draw attention to her ring, but Sabrina knew Denise would see it. And see it she did.

"Did he really ask you?" Tracie asked incredulously. From all accounts, she heard that Bruce Wayne was not the marrying type.

Sabrina nodded. "About five weeks ago."

"And you never called us?!" exclaimed Denise.

"Well I'm not sure it's sunk in yet," she said looking down at her hand. "Everything still seems surreal, with me living here. I'm afraid I'm going to wake up one day and I'll be back at my apartment."

Each of her friends gave her a congratulatory hug trying to allay her fears. As they did, Bruce stepped up to the mic.

"Thank you all for coming this evening," he began looking around the room. He knew there were reporters in the audience and he wanted to get out what he wanted to say right.

"All the money donated here tonight will be used directly to the designated charities working with the Wayne Foundation. Some of the programs you choose to donate to were the Toys-for-Tots program, Make-a-Wish Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

"None of the monies collected for tonight's event will go to cover overhead, and will go directly to the recipients," he continued. There was applause throughout the ballroom.

When the applause died down, Bruce made one more announcement. "And last, but certainly not least, I would like to introduce you to Sabrina Wallis." The crowd turned to look at her, dressed in a simple off-the-shoulder black evening gown. "She has happily agreed to become my wife."

Half the crowd gasped and the rest clapped and cheered. They, the media, had been waiting to hear anything about their relationship, but he was as elusive as she was. The buzz around Gotham that they had secretly married, and were waiting to catch them in town to confront them. For weeks they were no-shows, secluding themselves at the manor. Now, this was story of a lifetime.

Bruce walked to Sabrina, kissed her and stood by her side. She flushed red and refused to look at anyone else but him.

The party wrapped up close to one in the morning and thankfully Bruce was able to stay. The rest of the night, Sabrina was near Bruce, never more than an arm's reach away from him.

As the last of their party guests left, Bruce watched her as she said good-bye to her friend.

"Congratulations again," said the blond-haired woman as the valet brought up their car.

"Thanks Tracie," Sabrina called back and finally shut the door.

"You were stunning tonight," said Bruce. He stood a few feet away from her watching her every move. She seemed so natural in her role as hostess that he enjoyed seeing her mingle with the guests, making sure everyone had everything they needed.

"You sneaky devil," started Sabrina coming over to him giving him a few jabs on his arm.

"What?!" asked Bruce mockingly flinching from her attack. He grinned from ear to ear pleased about his little surprise. He wanted to announce to the whole world that this wonderful woman said yes to becoming his wife, but for now, he was satisfied with the little crowd he announced to.

"Did you have to broadcast our engagement to the crowd like that?" she pouted playfully. "Everyone was looking at me."

"I didn't notice," Bruce replied pulling her into her arms. "Because my eyes were on you and only you the whole evening." Then he kissed her, his kiss that always quieted her in his arms, his kiss that burned into her soul. "I love you," he breathed into her ear, "and I can't wait until you become my wife."


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Sabrina woke up with a start. The clock read five a.m. and Bruce wasn't back yet. Granted, it was rare for him to be gone for a few days at a time, but she was getting used to it. A few weeks before, Clark Kent called needing his help on something. Though he was back in no time, he didn't speak much about what he did, and she didn't ask.

This time, however, something was different. Bruce left yesterday morning on reconnaissance. He said he probably wouldn't be returning until the next day, but she felt something was wrong.

Making her way down to the cave dressed in sweats, she sat at the console. Looking at the monitor, she tracked the Batmobile. It was just parking itself. Running to Bruce, she helped a bruised and battered vigilante from the car to the sick bay.

Carefully laying him down, she pulled off his costume and began the process of treating his wounds. In the background, Alfred was there, picking up the discarding clothing, and making sure she had enough gauze and antiseptic.

Bruce watched as Sabrina treated him saying nothing. She showed no signs of reproach, just concern. Had Alfred been in her place, he would have suggested he enter another line of work. Such as entering a full-time position at Wayne Enterprises. "There's an opening for a full-time President," he had quipped before.

He gave a shake of his head. He had been on a routine stakeout, that didn't turn out quite so routine. In disguise, he was sitting at a table at a hole-in-the-wall bar and barely made it out alive. The bar owner knew all his patrons and did not recognize him. He was distrustful of strangers and had his goons pound him. If he survived, the bar owner said he would ask questions later.

"Do you need anything else?" Alfred asked as he set a breakfast tray on the bedside table.

"More gauze bandages," Sabrina sighed. Was this what she had to look forward to? Patching up his broken bones after a night of being out? Seeing his handsome face battered and bruised? Sabrina gave another sigh, pushing his hair back from his forehead. Bruce looked at her, completely trusting her. She gave him a tender smile and continued her ministrations. Yes, she would stick beside him. She loved him and everything about him. She wouldn't ask him to give up the life that was a part of him. If she did, he wouldn't be the man she fell in love with.

Bruce still waited for her to say something, to ask him to give up his mask. But she said nothing. Concern shown in her eyes, and all she wanted to do was ease his pain. The morphine worked quickly and soon the pain lessened from his body.

As he drifted off to sleep, he could hear Sabrina call the office.

"He's got a bad case of the flu," he heard her say to Lucius. "So he probably won't be at work this week…Sure, I can pick up those papers and have him sign it…Ok, I'll stop by today."

The last thing Bruce remembered was Sabrina crawling into bed beside him, laying her head on his shoulder. She reached down, her fingers intertwined with his, and then he fell asleep.

Bruce woke up in a tangle of sheets. He sat up, shaking his clouded head and looked around sickbay. There was no one in sight and he wondered…

"How are you feeling, Master Bruce?" Alfred asked setting a fresh tray of food next to him.

"Uh, groggy and sore as usual," he replied still looking around the cave. "Where is…" His question was answered when Sabrina walked into the little room.

"Bri," he sighed with relief.

Alfred moved aside, a grin on his face, as Bruce pulled Sabrina in his arms.

"Feeling better?" she asked pulling back to look at him.

He nodded. "I thought—I dreamt you were gone."

"Now where would I go?" she asked and held him close, wrapping her arms around him. She wanted to be with him, always.

"So you must really be busy with the wedding just next week," said Becca as they finished their evening shift. It was eleven at night and the parking lot was almost empty of cars.

For the first time in five months, Sabrina was called in for a shift. Bruce was reluctant to let her go, but he knew he couldn't stop her. Besides, it was only for one night.

"Yeah," Sabrina replied with a sigh. "But all the finishing touches are just about done."

Becca smiled. She was really happy for her friend. "So what are you doing at work?"

"Taking a break from the madness," she confessed. Alfred was a big help, but Bruce just replied, 'Whatever you think is best,' when she asked for his opinion. Damn him, but she never planned a wedding before, and she guessed that he was used to having almost everything planned for him that he just showed up come party day.

They punched out and headed out to the parking lot.

"Where's your car?" Sabrina asked Becca walking out with her. "I'll go with you."

"What about you?" her friend wondered. "Who'll walk you to your car?"

"I've got to get back to the lobby," she said slightly irritated. "Bruce is picking me up." That was the compromise she had to make in order to work at the hospital that evening. They talked about it for almost an hour and if he couldn't make it, Alfred would be there.

Becca laughed seeing her once independent friend a little more dependent now.

"I'll see you Saturday at the wedding," called out Sabrina as she headed back to the building.

Becca waved and got into her car.

As Sabrina headed back to the building, she casually looked at her surroundings as Bruce taught her. The parking lot was well lit for the most part, but she sensed something not right. She picked up her pace noticing a van parked in the shadows in the street.

Suddenly, from her peripheral view, she saw some movement coming her way. Taking a deep breath, she began making calculations. Just as Bruce taught her.

Before Becca could leave, she saw two men stalking Sabrina and immediately called for help.

"Becca, get down!" Sabrina shouted. She did as she was told.

The attacker lunged at her from the right, but Sabrina ducked and using his body weight, propelled him over her, knocking the breath and the element of surprise out of him. Another man came at her but she kicked him in the stomach and sent him flying backward.

Taking her stance, she waited for the other man to get up. He charged at her again, but Sabrina stepped aside tripping him, causing him to crash on the pavement.

They weren't big or burly, just determined to kidnap her, she surmised. One had dark hair, the other curly, about the same height of five foot six. She had to remember details, and eyed what she could, trying to imprint images into her mind, just as Bruce taught her.

Then one managed to grab her, pinning her arms to her side. But she wasn't ready to give up without a struggle.

The other man got up and as he approached, Sabrina scissor kicked him in the face, knocking him backward where he hit his head against a car. "Make it count," she whispered under her breath. He was knocked out cold.

Bruce pulled into the parking lot and his heart nearly froze seeing Sabrina being attacked. Quickly he drove over to her hoping his help would not be too late.

Kicking off from the one assailant, the one who pinned Sabrina lost balance and stumbled back. As he did, she managed to push off a car knocking the man into a lamppost. Freeing herself, she faced the man, kicked his face, then kneed his stomach. As he doubled over, clasping her hands together, she hit him in the back.

The man groaned in pain, and felt it was better to stay down than to get back up. His partner was still out.

Sabrina stood over them breathing hard waiting for the next move. Neither men seemed to be moving, but she dared not let her guard down. As the one man she had kicked unconscious stirred, Sabrina, her voice low and even advised, "If I were you, you could tell the police that Batman came and kicked your butts.

"Or you could say I did," she looked meaningfully at them both. "If you say I did, you'll have a hard time in jail, if you know what I mean."

Parking haphazardly, Bruce ran up to her. "Are you all right?" he asked pulling Sabrina into his arms and holding her tight. He kissed her on the forehead as if to reassure himself that she was ok.

Sabrina nodded into his chest, happy he was there. In the distance, they could hear police sirens.

In the car, Becca peaked up and saw that Sabrina was safe. "You ok?" she said coming over to them.

Sabrina nodded, Bruce's arm protectively around her. "You?"

"I'm fine," Becca nodded in return. "But what happened?"

The police arrived and Bruce looked curiously at Sabrina as she recounted her tale. Surprisingly, the perpetrators corroborated with her story about Batman coming to her rescue.

The two men who attacked her were going to kidnap Sabrina and ransom her back for whatever they could get. Unfortunately, their plans were foiled.

Becca was safely hidden in the car when Sabrina shouted for her to stay down. She heard noises, but she wasn't sure what happened.

"How did you get them to agree with your story?" Bruce asked as they drove home.

Sabrina smiled. "Going to jail is difficult enough as it is. If everyone found who really brought them down, it would be open season on them."

Bruce chuckled. She was ready.

The day of the wedding fast approached. The rehearsal dinner was a blur and only in the morning did Sabrina have a chance to relax.

"You seem calm and collected," commented Denise as she helped Sabrina get dressed. Her hair was down in curls, her flower headpiece pinned in place, holding her veil.

"Actually, my stomach is churning," she replied munching on the breakfast Alfred brought to her. It was a simple plate of toast with scrambled eggs and cheese and fruit cut into bite-size pieces, something she could nibble on while she was getting ready. "In excitement or nervousness, I can't tell right now," Sabrina finished smoothing her dress. Custom made, her top was adorned in lace hugging her trim, and now muscular figure. The rest of her dress was satin, also hugging her figure, with lace appliqué on the bottom hem. She couldn't believe that in five months, she planned their wedding, and the day had finally arrived.

"Ready?" asked Denise, her maid-of-honor, as she pulled out her train.

"Ready," she nodded as they headed to the top flight of stairs. Bruce had slept with her the night before, and stayed until morning. He greeted her with a kiss then went downstairs to a room designated for him for the day.

"She really seems like a great person," said Dick Grayson as he handed Bruce his tie. "I couldn't be more happy for you."

Bruce gave a slight smile. "More happy than my first wedding?" he probed.

Dick grimaced. He had been pessimistic from beginning to end, and he felt upset for Bruce that the one perfect woman wasn't real at all. During the rehearsal dinner, Sabrina was very personable. She had looked lovingly at Bruce, but what impressed him most was that she knew and accepted his secret. All their secrets.

"What do you mean she knows I'm Nightwing," whispered Dick to Bruce as they sat chatting alone the night of the rehearsal dinner.

"I mentioned that you were going to be my best man," Bruce began, "and she just raised her eyebrows then nodded. I asked her what that was all about and she just said, 'Nightwing'. I just threw my hands up in the air.

"She also knew you were Robin before that," he finished.

"So she knows about Tim?" Dick asked.

"And Barbara," he added.

"How—?"

Bruce just shrugged. He gave up trying to figure out the details. She knew. That was all they needed to know.

Dick shook himself from his thoughts. Sabrina had known all their secrets. And never said a thing to anyone. She must be a remarkable woman to know something so powerful and be able to keep it to herself.

"She must be an incredible woman," said Dick handing him his coat. "I must say I envy you."

Bruce paused to look at his friend. "I never thought I could find love and exist as the man I am," he began. "Sabrina let me be who I need to be when I need to be and she never lets me forget it.

"When I fell in love, and knew that I loved her, I thought I would have to give up half of who I was." His voice grew soft. "She never once let me have that option."

Dick smiled at the thought that maybe one day, he would be that lucky too. "Let's go see your bride," he said patting his friend on the back.

The living room had been transformed for the ceremony and about one hundred people came to see the exchange of vows. Bruce waited at the top of the stairs of the entry with Dick and Tim at his side. Sabrina would descend from the second floor to the living area, up to the entryway.

"Ready Sabrina?" George asked extending his arm. He was honored that Sabrina asked him to give her away because this was a day he never thought he would ever see. He was very happy, especially for Bruce.

Sabrina nodded taking a deep breath.

Everyone waited with baited breath as the music began. The two bridesmaids, Denise and Tracie descended, Sabrina coming in from behind them. Bruce could hear his heart pound above the music. She was more beautiful than he could have ever imagined and he couldn't believe she would spend that rest of her life with him, that she would even want to be with him, knowing what she knew.

Tears stung his eyes as she walked closer to the altar. His love seemed to grow at that moment and he noticed no one else.

A tear of happiness slipped down Sabrina's cheek as she walked towards Bruce. A smile plastered her face seeing Bruce at the end of runway. He was as handsome as ever, his face solemn, his eyes red from holding back tears. She held on to George tightly, excited that Bruce chose her as his lifelong partner.

George happily handed Sabrina to Bruce then took his seat.

Bruce gripped Sabrina's hand as the ceremony began, taking sidelong glances at each other, a smile on the corner of their lips.

"Now for the vows," the minister said turning to Sabrina. They faced each other.

"Bruce, I am so honored that you let me into your life," Sabrina began looking into his mesmerizing blue eyes. "In return for your trust and love, I can only give you my love and trust in return and vow to love and honor you, and be by your side through eternity."

"Sabrina," Bruce began then cleared this throat. "Sabrina," he said again. "When you opened my heart, I suddenly left at peace with myself, with the life I lead. You were the piece of the puzzle I had been missing. Now that I am complete, I vow to love and honor you and be by your side through eternity."

They exchanged rings and with the minister's blessing, kissed. It was tender and exquisite kiss, one that vowed, in front of their family and friends, that they would be true to each other as they promised.

Bruce pulled back and gave Sabrina a smile. Proudly, he walked down the aisle as her husband, her arm tucked in his.

The reception followed in the main dining area and ballroom.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Sabrina stayed by Bruce's side as they spoke with the guests and had their pictures taken with them. Occasionally, Sabrina smiled up to her husband enjoying his comforting presence and drew from his strength as the day wore to night.

"I hope you two will be happy," said Tracie excitedly giving Sabrina a hug. As she waved good-bye, she held up the garter that Luke won, twirling it.

"You too!" Sabrina called out waving back.

Bruce noticed Commission Gordon take his leave as well.

"We might need to go soon," he whispered to Sabrina motioning towards the departing Gordon. She nodded in understanding. They continued to mingle with their guests. And Bruce informed Dick and Tim that they might need to leave sooner than expected.

"We could cover for you," Barbara said. There were nods of agreement from her partners.

"That's ok," answered Sabrina with a big grin. "You guys should stay here and make up rumors as to why we left early."

Just as she said that, the signal calling for the masked vigilante appeared in the sky.

"See?" she smiled handing Alfred her glass.

They snuck out of the party and headed down to the cave.

"Bruce, I want to go out with you," Sabrina pleaded thinking she was going to be left behind. She had yet to go out with him and she wondered when she would get her costume. She couldn't go out without a costume.

"I know," he stated handing her a gift. "I wasn't sure what to get you as a wedding present and I thought this might be appropriate." He smiled as she looked at her gift. "Although I had hoped you wouldn't use it this soon."

Tearing the wrapping off, Sabrina opened the box. Inside was her costume. It was a newly designed suit just for her with a helmet that covered her whole face. It still had the familiar ears of the bat that doubled as a receiver and transmitter, but no one would be able to identify her. Ever.

Bruce pulled out a matching outfit complete with helmet. He hoped that the new costumes and the full masks would eliminate any possibility of their identities being discovered. Both suites were designed without the cape.

"So what will I be called?" she asked as she put on the costume. "Batgirl is already taken, and so is Robin. Are you just going to call me Sidekick?"

Bruce smiled and pulled her close to him. Half dressed, her bare top felt warm against him "My love," he said, his lips descending on hers.

Jim Gordon waited on the roof, hoping Batman would appear soon. He left the Wayne wedding early and arrived an hour ago. Informed of the details on his ride in, Jim had his men turn on the signal. His ally usually came as soon as he could and was grateful for the help. But there were times he didn't come at all. Patiently he waited for his long-time partner and as usual, his patience was rewarded.

"Glad you could make it," said Jim noticing a figure hanging back in the shadows. Then he noticed Batman's new costume. It was completely in black with the logo embossed on the chest with a black utility belt. Most impressive was the mask that covered his face. Jim had made attempts in the past to identify the masked vigilante, but he thought better of it.

"So who's on the loose this time?" Batman asked. His voice was muted, but it was still the same person.

"Professor Crane," he replied with a sigh. Crane was difficult to deal with because anyone encountering him never knew if what he or she saw was reality or fiction. "The only problem is that he looks like he's been missing for a few days. Apparently he hasn't done anything yet but you know he'll try something."

Batman nodded. Myriad thoughts ran through his head as to how he was going to handle Crane and what his target would be.

"We'll get right on it," he said as if turning to take his leave. Instead he stretched out his hand and pulled his partner next to him.

"Jim, this is Batwoman," he introduced and said nothing more.

Jim nodded to her and she nodded back. He had a million questions running through his head, but said nothing. He didn't expect his questions would be answered.

"We'll be in touch," Batman ended and they both leaped off the edge of the roof, but not before shooting out a grappling hook to swing to the next rooftop.

Jim shook his head. Batman was always surprising. He had known the vigilante for years and he never betrayed his trust in any way. He thought of him like a son, but he wondered about his masked man who fought for the city and wondered if he had someone to go home to, if he had children. He had hoped so. In the job that they were in, everything they did to fight against crime made going out into the night more bearable and worthwhile to know that Gotham would be a safer place because they wanted it to be safe for the ones they loved.

He thought for a moment about the new Batwoman. Did he know her? At one point he thought Batgirl was Barbara, but he wasn't sure. He didn't think it was her now by the way the Batman introduced her. There was something in his voice, the way he moved that showed some protectiveness about her. He shrugged. But he seemed protective of Robin and even Nightwing at times.

His thoughts turned to Bruce and his new wife. It was a fleeting thought, however, because he figured, by now, they would be on their honeymoon. Hawaii, he thought he heard them say. What bride would turn down a trip to Hawaii to chase a criminal?

As he saw the two figures disappear into the night sky, Jim took his leave and headed down to his office.

Batman and his new partner perched on a rooftop overlooking the city. It was the same skyline where she did her simulation.

"Good observation," commented Batman when she mentioned it. He was silent for a moment, looking out over the city, then looked down at her.

"We should be on our honeymoon," he said. He stood next to her crouching figure and waited for her to answer.

Slowly Sabrina stood up and looked at him. She remembered every line of his face, the curve of his jaw, the shape of his lips. She looked at him as if there were no masks between them.

"I am by your side, and we are together," she finally replied. "Every day will be a honeymoon no matter where we are."

Batman took a step towards her, his body pressed against hers. He desperately wanted to kiss her, realizing that the masks were going to be a hindrance.

She chuckled. "Concentrate," she said taking a step back. "And maybe we should go to the cave and mix up some anti-fear toxin."

Batman smiled beneath his mask. Yes, they would do that and he would show her how grateful he was that she was with him, that she would be with him forever.

"Ready?" he asked pulling out his grappling hook.

"Ready," Sabrina nodded.

They swung out over the rooftops of Gotham into the night. Suddenly, another earthquake shook the buildings and their lines snapped.

"Bri!" Batman shouted into their comlink. He dove after her, changing his descent, but he couldn't reach her, he couldn't…


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue

Bruce woke up in a tangle of sheets and IV lines. He sat up blinking his eyes, shook his clouded mind, and looked around. He found himself in the cave infirmary. Tiredly, he leaned over, his head in his hands. No, his mind screamed in desperation. But he knew she was gone, that she was never really there.

"Master Bruce," said Alfred putting down the sheets he was carrying. "How are you feeling?"

Bruce felt disoriented and confused. Most of all, he felt a deep ache within him, a loss of what he thought he had. For once, he felt happiness, a sense of peace. It wasn't real. She wasn't real. He gave out a raged breath.

"What happened?" he finally asked looking at Alfred.

"After the earthquake, Master Tim found you under some debris, but you'd already been exposed to the fear toxin," he began as he checked the IVs. The bags of fluid were almost depleted and because Bruce was awake, he began unhooking them. "Master Dick found Professor Crane nearby also buried in the rubble that he helped instigate. He noticed that you disabled the machine and helped Master Tim bring you home. We called Dr.—"

"Dr. Wallis?" Bruce interrupted vaguely remembering the events. He spoke with Commissioner Gordon the on rooftop one evening. The Scarecrow had escaped and Dick found out that he was going to release a variation of his fear toxin through gas lines of homes and apartments. He had planned it for months, getting outside help to tap into the lines. The men were promised money; half already paid up front, the other half when the plan was completed. Then he would simulate an earthquake destroying buildings and rupturing pipelines. It would look like an accident and no one would realize they were exposed to his toxin until it was too late. It almost worked. They found him, but not before the Scarecrow turned on his machine that simulated the earthquake. The building the Scarecrow's equipment was located under shook and they both became trapped under heavy debris.

Alfred shook his head looking questioningly at Bruce. "Dr. Thompkins administered the antidote to make sure you had the right levels." Bruce was incoherent and groggy when Dick and Tim brought him to the cave.

"How long have I been out?" Bruce wondered. It couldn't have been a dream, he thought. Everything was so real. She was so real.

"Well, you've been out for about three days," he answered. "Do you feel like getting up?"

Bruce nodded and let Alfred help him with his robe. He wanted a nice long shower where he could close his eyes to try and remember long black hair, deep brown eyes looking lovingly at him, and a tender smile.

"By the way, the planning committee for Gotham General will be here in about an hour to see the place," he added.

Bruce nodded, but it mostly fell on deaf ears. He could only mourn his loss of what could have been, the emptiness he now felt in his heart and in his life. He thought about Clark and how he had Lois, and they were able to work it out. He had seen it too. It could be done. Sabrina was able to be a part of his life. All of it.

"So how did you fair with the earthquake this weekend?" Denise asked Sabrina as she came into the break room for lunch. "We had minor damage to some of our things that fell off the wall, but otherwise we were ok."

Sabrina sighed trying to recall the events of the past few days. It was late Friday night when she got home from her shift. The building shook and there was a reported gas leak. By the time the tenants realized this, some were already exposed to the gas and were to be rushed to the hospital. A medical crew was dispatched to their building. Others on the upper floors were inoculated. But even after the distributions of the antidote, she thought she had a wild dream that seem to fade in and out of her mind, and for a while, she thought what she was seeing was real. She knew it wasn't, but…it felt right.

"I have a lot of broken pieces of furniture," she finally replied. "Nothing that can't be replaced. Apparently we were at the epicenter."

"And your priceless art?" Denise wondered. She had a curious collection of paintings that were interesting and rare. Almost everyone who saw them enjoyed them for their uniqueness.

"One fell and cracked it's glass cover, but they're fine," she reported. She didn't have the heart to tell anyone patients from the pediatric department made them for her and she had them framed.

"You seem kind of distracted," her friend noted. "Anything else happen?"

"Our building was apparently exposed to the Scarecrow's toxin," Sabrina grimaced. "My arm is still smarting from the anti-toxin." She didn't feel affected, but at times, she wasn't sure what she was seeing in front of her. When the cure took full effect, just as she expected, she was in her apartment, still trying to clean the debris. She had most of it cleared when she went to bed that night, trying to recapture a stolen kiss as she closed her eyes to dream.

"Well, be ready after lunch because we have to get going," said Denise finishing with her break.

"Where?" Sabrina was confused. She couldn't remember where they were supposed to be that afternoon and she didn't have her electronic calendar with her.

"Wayne Manor. We're supposed to check out Mr. Wayne's house for the charity benefit," she answered. "Don't you remember?"

Suddenly, Sabrina felt as if she couldn't breathe. She couldn't face Bruce. Not after the dream she had about him. Would he remember her? She laughed to herself. Of course not. Any illusion she had of their time together was generated by the Scarecrow's malicious plan to take over the city.

"Right," Sabrina nodded. "I'll be ready." Suddenly she couldn't finish her lunch and was nervous about the meeting. He probably wouldn't be there, she thought. In the afternoons he was usually at work or if he ditched work, was down in the cave. She shook her head. She didn't really know that. How could she?

To ease her mind, she stopped by to check on Mrs. Ling, her landlady. She was most affected by the toxin as her apartment was just above the basement. The gas was most prevalent in her place when the EMTs came.

"How are you feeling, Mrs. Ling?" Sabrina asked looking at her chart. He vitals seemed normal, and the toxicity levels in her blood decreased significantly in the past two days.

"Much better," she said sitting up with a smile. She had woken up that morning, wanting to go home. "When can I go home?"

"We need to keep you here until the toxin has been eliminated from your bloodstream," she explained putting her chart back. "That should be another day." she smiled at her, assuring she was going to be all right.

"That was a beautiful wedding," Mrs. Ling suddenly sighed as Sabrina fixed her bed covers.

"I'm sorry?" Sabrina asked, wondering if she heard her correctly.

"Your wedding," she repeated. "Make sure to tell Bruce to keep you happy or he'll be hearing from me."

Sabrina didn't know how to reply.

"Sabrina, are you all right?" the older woman asked. "Don't tell me you two are already fighting?"

"Uh, no. It's just that Bruce is a very busy man—"

"And he'd better make time for you," she cut in. "Tell him for me."

"I will," was all Sabrina could say, walking away perplexed. "I'll see you in a while."

Composing herself, Sabrina was ready and offered to drive them to the manor.

"Have you been here before?" Denise asked tucking the map she had generated online away. "I thought you wanted me to print out directions."

"I memorized the way," she said seeing the familiar two-lane road. Ahead, she saw the gates rise in the distance. Exactly as she dreamt it. She did dream it, she persisted, despite Mrs. Ling's words.

Denise rang the doorbell and Mr. Wayne's butler answered.

"You must be Mr. Pennyworth," said Denise introducing them both. "We really appreciate your time."

Alfred looked at the raven-haired woman. "Dr. Wallis did you say?" Bruce had mentioned her name earlier.

"Yes," said Sabrina but saw no hint of recognition in his eyes.

"Please do come in," he gestured for them to enter. "And please, call me Alfred."

He began the tour in the living room and it was exactly as Sabrina remembered it. Everything she saw was exactly the same, the great room and ballroom. But how? she wondered. She had never been to Wayne Manor before and Denise had just proven that the earthquake happened that weekend. Three days' time. Not over a period of five months.

As they walked through the rooms, Sabrina gently touched the artifacts that decorated the rooms trying to make sense what she was seeing. Alfred showed no signs of familiarity at all and Denise looked around the rooms as if seeing them for the first time. She shook her head thinking about her landlady.

Bruce had taken a long, hot shower and he let this thoughts run, allowing himself to remember her touch, her kiss. He remembered their first date clearly as if it really happened, the smell of gardenias in her hair, her acceptance of him. Hunger took over and he finished his shower. Dressed in slacks and a sweater, Bruce made his way to the kitchen.

He smiled, seeing that a meal had been prepared for him, a newspaper lying next to the tray. Bruce ate in peace, his mind clear, though his heart was heavy, and was quietly reading when he heard voices. Before he could leave, Alfred pushed the kitchen door open.

"Ah, Master Bruce, allow me to introduce Ms. Denise Henderson and Dr. Sabrina Wallis," he said showing to ladies in. "Dr. Stratton sent them to make sure this would be more than adequate space for the benefit."

Bruce was standing, about to leave when he felt rooted to his spot. He couldn't help but stare at the raven-haired beauty. Would she recognize him? he wondered trying to catch her eye.

"We really appreciate you hosting this charity benefit," Denise began reaching out to shake his hand. "You have a lovely—place." It was a large and spacious mansion, and Denise found no reason why the benefit couldn't be hosted there. As long as Mr. Wayne offered, they would take it. They had more than enough room and now she wondered why Dr. Stratton sent them there in the first place.

Sabrina was slightly hidden behind Alfred and her friend, her gaze briefly caught his then traveled around the kitchen. She saw a familiar chord strike as their gaze met, his eyes full of hope and longing. Dared she hoped? She purposefully looked elsewhere, her heart pounding in anticipation and fear. No, Bruce had never met her before today and nothing would come out of their meeting.

Bruce gave Denise a nod, ignored her hand, his gaze fixated on the woman behind her.

Denise smiled, used to having men take great interest in her friend. And she should be flattered that the most eligible bachelor in Gotham caught her interest. Instead Sabrina was behind her fidgeting, ignoring the handsome man that was trying to get her attention.

"Ladies, if you'll follow me," said Alfred leading them through the kitchen and to another door. Denise followed, but Sabrina trailed behind them.

"Are you ok?" Sabrina spoke for the first time. Somehow she summoned the courage to say something, to look into his eyes. They were alone in the kitchen, Alfred and Denise continuing the tour. She stopped directly in front of Bruce looking up at him, concern on her face. He looked pale and confused…and afraid.

"I'm feeling…" Bruce began, when suddenly a wave of dizziness overcame him making him reel back.

"I got you, Bruce," said Sabrina softly catching his arm and helping him back down on his chair. She kneeled next to him, looking up into his blue eyes. Eyes that were filled with question and wonder.

Bruce stared down at the woman, seeing a reassuring smile touch her lips and light her eyes. It was as he remembered her, the confidence when they first met, and then the tenderness and concern for his well-being.

"Bri?" he said hesitantly and she smiled her familiar smile that he fell in love with.

"Everything is going to be all right," she said softly. Deep in her heart she felt it.

As he reached out to run his fingers through her hair, her hand covered his and he felt…hope. And in his heart, Bruce felt that everything would be all right.

The End


End file.
